repeating days
by don't boop my nose
Summary: sequel to "shame on me." two years after his adventurous experience with ally dawson, austin moon can't seem to stop thinking about her. austin/ally. ooc.
1. Chapter 1

so this is it! the second part of "shame on me, you fooled me twice." (just noticed how long that title is). remember that this will all be in austin's pov so we'll get to see what he's been doing those past two years. he's currently twenty-five and ally is twenty-three (she was twenty-one when they met.)

* * *

Two Years Later

My hands were balled into fists as I sat on my bed, bopping my legs up and down. I'd dreaded this day every bit as much as I'd longed for it. The closer it got, the more my apprehension about leaving this place grew. Looking around at the Spartan gray walls, I could hardly believe that this was really it. Today was the day.

Cracking my knuckles, I got up and paced.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man?" my cellmate Jace said. "This is what you've been waiting for."

"You'll see how it feels when your day comes."

"Yeah. Fucking ecstatic is how I'll feel. You want to trade places? I'd give my right nut to be in your shoes right now."

"I know you would. It's not that I'm ungrateful to be done. It's just that nothing is the same as when I came in here. This place… it's become my normal. Walking out of here is gonna be like walking into a big black hole. At least here I know what to expect."

"It's been two years, not forty."

"A lot can happen in two years, man. I've learned that all too well." When the words came out of my mouth, my heart immediately felt heavier. Two years ago, I had a mom. Now, I didn't. _My mom was dead_. God, it was so painful to think about her not being around anymore. That was reason enough to want to stay in here and hide from reality.

Mom had suffered an aneurysm while driving about a year ago. The fact that I was locked up and couldn't say goodbye to her when she was clinging to life at the hospital was something that I would never forgive myself for.

 _There were a lot of things I couldn't forgive myself for._

Jace's next question threw me for a loop. "Are you gonna try to find her?"

"Who?"

 _I knew who._

"You know who."

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. _Why did he have to bring her up?_ "No," I said adamantly.

"No?"

My tone was more insistent. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's been two fucking years. She's probably with someone else by now. Oh, and there's that minor detail of her hating my guts and wishing I were dead because I broke her fucking heart."

I never intended to tell Jace about Ally. I never intended to tell _anyone_ about her, especially the details of how I left her.

One night, I had apparently been talking in my sleep in the middle of a dream, saying things like, "Ally, I'm sorry. So fucking sorry." I'd woken Jace up, and he dragged it out of me. The dreams were recurring and continued to happen on and off, to the point where Jace had dubbed them "Allys." "You had an Ally again last night," he'd say.

"You don't know for a fact that she wishes you ill will."

"What does it matter, Jace? Even if she's not married, the whole point of sneaking out that morning was to make her hate me so that she'd move on with her life and not wait two whole years for me while I was stuck in this hell. Why the fuck would I have broken her heart intentionally only to go back and try to be with her again?"

"Aren't you even curious about her?"

 _Fuck._

 _Of course I was._

Shrugging my shoulders, I let out a deep breath and sat back down on the bed, staring at the wall.

"I hope she's happy and that she's moved on. I really do. But I sure as hell don't want to put myself through witnessing that firsthand."

"Well, it's your decision. I just don't want you to regret it later. From what I can see, that shit traumatized you."

"Oh, you're a shrink now, eh, Jay?"

"I don't have to be a professional to see it. Look, you're a good guy. She'd be proud of you if she saw it the way I do. You've made the best of your time here more than anyone I've seen come and go before."

I'd damn well tried. I'd taken some classes toward finishing my degree and even organized a music program for the inmates in the adjoining juvenile hall. I was determined not to let these years be a total waste, to make something good out of them. If being here meant giving up everything, it was damn well not going to be for nothing. There was no doubt I'd be leaving prison a different person—not a happier one—but a stronger one.

Jace interrupted my thoughts. "Let me ask you this. What if you found out this chick was out there somewhere still single? Don't you think what you had is worth risking disappointment for a shot at a second chance?"

Before I could answer, the long, slow creak of the prison cell door opening echoed through the halls.

I looked at Jace. "I guess this is it."

He hugged me, patting my back. "When you start to feel down, think about this. If nothing else, Austin, you're still one of the best lookin' dudes ever to leave prison with his ass intact."

I broke out into almost hysterical laughter. I was definitely going to miss him. "You're a good bloke. You've always had a knack for showing me the bright side of things."

"Glad I could do that for you."

"I'll keep in touch, eh?" I said, exiting the cell.

I let out a deep breath as I followed the prison guard through the halls amidst the heckling, swearing and applause of my fellow inmates.

He took me to a room where I signed the release papers. This felt surreal. I definitely expected to be happier about leaving. Instead, the fact that I was about to become a free man left me feeling surprisingly numb.

I waited alone until he returned with a large plastic Ziploc containing my belongings. Opening that bag was like opening a time capsule of an abandoned life. There were my jeans, and navy pullover sweatshirt that I'd been wearing when I turned myself in, along with my wallet, phone and watch.

My iPhone was dead, so I asked the guard if he could find me a charger. Since it was an older phone, no one seemed to have the right kind. Apple had apparently come out with two new versions since my imprisonment began. That figured. The guard was finally able to find someone in the office with a charger that fit my phone.

"You can charge your phone in here, get dressed, and then you're free to go."

I nodded. "Thank you, sir."

I plugged the charger into the wall and proceeded to change into my clothes. After several minutes, a light illuminated the screen of my phone as the device turned on. I waited a bit longer to allow the battery to gain enough juice to last the trip to surprise Dez. I was originally going to have him pick me up, but I decided to keep mom instead.

When it was time to walk out, I felt like a fish out of water. My footsteps past the guard booth were intentionally slow.

The bright sunshine outside the gates was a shock to my system. There I was standing in front of the massive prison building wearing the same clothes from two years ago and having no clue what to do with myself. It felt like the day I turned myself in was just yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once.

How did one become reacquainted with his own life? I felt like asking myself, "Where did we leave things again?"

I looked around me. There should have been a guidebook of what the fuck to do with yourself when you're let out of prison.

When you're locked up, it seems like your life is on pause. You come out expecting and wanting everything to be exactly the same, but knowing damn well that it's not.

All I fucking wanted right then was to go back to exactly where my life left off.

 _She was where my life left off._

What I wouldn't have given to snap my fingers and have her pull up to the jail in the BMW with that stinking animal in the backseat. One could only dream.

My mind was heading into delusional and dangerous territory. I shook my head and pulled out my phone to look up the number for a car service then remembered I had no data plan. Miraculously, the internet seemed to work. My phone was part of a family plan with Dez and his sister, and he must have continued paying the bill. I decided I'd walk to the nearest train station instead of taking a cab. Before I started the trek, I happened to click on my photo library.

Big. Fucking. Mistake.

It opened up to the last picture taken. It was of Ally. There she was.

 _Oh. God._

My heart felt like it came alive again after a two year hiatus.

 _Princess._

Suddenly, the emotions I was hoping to suppress had appeared in all of their glory, completely overpowering the numbness I'd experienced just minutes earlier.

I'd almost forgotten how beautiful she was. Ally never knew I took that picture. I'd snapped it of her sleeping peacefully in the hotel room right before I left. I wanted to always remember that moment.

 _Our fucking wedding night_. It was supposed to be fake, but it felt all too real. Nothing had ever felt more real in my entire life.

Now, I was cursing at myself for ever thinking that taking that photo was a good idea. I should have deleted every single last image of her so that I'd never have to look at what I lost—the heart that I damn well knew I'd shattered into a million pieces.

At the time, I truly felt my leaving her the way I did was for her own good. I knew what kind of person Ally was. She would have waited every single day of those two years for me. That wasn't fair. After everything she'd been through, she deserved her fresh start. A new city, a new life… she was on the verge of finally starting to live the life she wanted. I couldn't drag her down, couldn't make her spend two more years lonely and sad. She deserved better.

Fucking her was definitely _not_ part of the plan. Several times during the trip, I'd almost lost my control, but that night in Vegas was the last straw. I'd tried with all of my might to avoid giving in. But I wasn't strong enough. I came apart when she stormed into my room. I'd never made love to anyone like that in my life, and to this day, I didn't regret it. That night with her meant everything to me.

My finger lingered over the photo. I couldn't get myself to slide back through to the others. But I also knew I'd never delete them for as long as I lived.

When I stuck my phone back into my pocket, my fingers touched a piece of metal. I took it out. Gleaming in the sunlight was the fake gold wedding band that I'd still been wearing the day I turned myself in. Twirling it between my thumb and index finger, anger started to build up inside of me.

I stood there, staring at the ring, trying to figure out why I was so fucking angry all of a sudden. It was because I was starting to doubt whether I'd made the right decision.

Jace's question from earlier—the one I never answered—replayed in my head. " _Let me ask you this. What if you found out this chick was out there somewhere, still single. Don't you think what you had is worth risking disappointment for a shot at a second chance?_ "

Placing the ring on my finger, I answered the question, "Fuck yes, it would be worth it."

I took the phone out of my pocket. My heart was pounding out of my chest as I typed into Google: _Ally Dawson_.

* * *

a/n: i barely do this but i'm adding this so you'll know why austin was in jail in the first place. you'll notice that the dates add up to exactly a few days after he left ally alone in vegas. this chapter mentions "rape" therefore if you are not comfortable with it, it's okay to not read it. i hope you're not confused and if you are, i'll try to clear it up by the next chapter!

Two Years Ago

"Will the defendant please rise?"

I stood. My lawyer stood with me.

"Mr. Moon, has your attorney explained the charges that you are pleading guilty to today?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"Before I can accept your guilty plea, I must be confident that you understand the charges against you, the effect of your guilty plea, and that you are entitled to a trial. The procedure that we do here today is called allocution. I will ask you a series of questions and then you will be given an opportunity to make a statement on your own behalf before sentencing. Do you have any questions about this procedure?"

"No, Your Honor."

"You have been charged with a violation of California penal code 242—Felony Battery With Serious Bodily Injury. Has your attorney explained the elements of this crime to you?"

"Yes, Your Honor. He has."

"And do you understand that you are entitled to a trial by a jury of your peers and that a plea of guilty today will effectively waive that right?"

"I do. Yes, I understand."

"And do you wish to waive that right today and plead guilty to the crime that you have been charged with?"

"I do."

"In your own words, can you please state the elements of the crime that you are charged with?"

"I am charged with physically injuring another person and causing him serious bodily harm."

"Okay, Mr. Moon. This Court finds that you understand the nature of the crime with which you are charged and the implications for your plea today. The district attorney and your attorney have put forth a plea bargain for the Court to accept. One of the conditions of this plea bargain requires that you provide the explicit details of the crime you have committed and the reason the crime has been committed. This removes any doubt as to the nature of your guilt. Are you prepared to provide the Court with your statement at this time?"

I turned my head and looked back at the mostly empty Court. A bailiff was picking dirt from under his fingernails. A few men in gray suits had their heads down and were texting away on their phones. It was as if nothing earth shattering was happening; this was an every day mundane occurrence. There was only one face that looked shattered in the gallery. I'd done my best to get her not to come—but she insisted. There in the third row of the courtroom, sitting alone on one of the worn, wooden pew style benches, sat Dez's sister Didi. Her nose was red and tears were streaming silently down her face. I hated that she was going to hear the details all over again.

Returning my attention to the waiting Judge, I nodded and spoke quietly. "Yes, Your Honor. I'm ready."

"Alright. What say you, Mr. Moon? Tell the Court what happened on the night of July 10th?"

I swallowed hard. "On the night of July 10th, I went to the home of a drug dealer and threatened him—"

The Judge interrupted me and spoke to my attorney. "This is an alleged drug dealer, correct? The victim has not been convicted of any crime?"

My attorney responded. "Yes, Your Honor. The victim has not been convicted of any crime."

Ain't that a kick in the ass. I'll be a convicted felon before all of the real criminals.

The Judge directed the next part to me. "Mr. Moon, you can either refer to the victim as the victim, the alleged drug dealer or by his name. Anything else will not be tolerated. Do you understand?"

My jaw clenched so tight I thought I might crack a pearly white, but I nodded. There was no fucking way I was calling that piece of shit a victim. Didi was the only victim in this whole tragedy.

"Go on."

"As I was saying. I went to the home of the alleged drug dealer, Chuck McCoy, and threatened him. The alleged drug dealer was the boyfriend of my friend. It's my understanding that he had a dispute with another alleged drug dealer. I threatened Chuck to tell me where the other drug dealer was. The police had been looking for the other alleged dealer for two weeks and weren't making any progress. I wanted to help. Chuck refused to tell me where the guy was."

"And why were the police looking for this other alleged drug dealer?"

I looked at the bench and then back at Didi. She looked broken. Taking a deep breath, I continued, "He raped my friend. To get even with Chuck. And before he left her beaten and scarred, he told her he'd be back again."

It was the first time the Judge's face softened. "And what did you do when Chuck McCoy refused to give you the information you wanted?"

It was a small victory, but the Judge finally stopped calling Chuck _the victim_ , too. "I attacked him."

"Were any weapons involved in the attack?"

I looked to my attorney and back to the judge. "I don't believe so, Your Honor?"

"You don't believe so? Meaning you aren't sure?"

"Well… no weapons were recovered at the scene, and I don't recall having one with me. But, no, I can't be sure."

"And why is that Mr. Moon?"

"Because I don't remember most of the attack."

"I see. What is the last thing that you are able to recall?"

I knew. But I damn sure didn't want to repeat it out loud. She was so fragile already.

My lawyer whispered to me, "You need to do this, Austin."

I cleared my throat. "Chuck said something to me. And that's the last thing I can recall."

"And what is it that he said, Mr. Moon?"

My attorney had warned me not to show anger. It took every ounce of willpower that I had to unclench my fists and speak. "He said… she was a crack whore, and she might as well have gotten the first one under her belt because she would be taking cock down her throat in exchange for a dime bag by next week."

The judge looked sympathetic momentarily. "And do you know the nature of the injuries that Chuck McCoy sustained?"

"As far as I've been told, he had a broken nose, a fractured eye socket, a concussion and a few broken ribs."

"And you recall none of the actions that lead to these injuries?"

"No, Your Honor. I don't. I remember what I already told you, and the next thing I can recall is him saying 1925 Harmon Street."

"Alright then, Mr. Moon. We're almost done here. I have a few additional questions before we will break and then come back this afternoon for sentencing."

I nodded.

"Do you regret your actions, Mr. Moon?"

The last question was a bone of contention between my lawyer and me. While he didn't outright tell me to lie, I could read between the lines. But I'd come this far. I was going to stand tall. Not three hours after Chuck was carted away in an ambulance, the dealer that attacked Didi was arrested. I looked straight into the eyes of the Judge and told the honest to God's truth. "No. I don't regret my actions."

It was nearly four by the time the Judge called us back into the Courtroom. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes before speaking. "Mr. Moon. Do you understand that as a result of your guilty plea, you may lose certain valuable civil rights such as the right to vote, the right to hold public office, the right to serve on a jury and the right to possess a firearm?"

Even after having two months to think about the consequences of my actions, I didn't care about what I lost. Only that Didi could sleep at night again. "I understand, Your Honor."

"Okay, then. Mr. Moon, your plea deal with the District Attorney to serve two years is found to be an adequate punishment and is therefore accepted by this Court. While the Court sympathizes with what your family has gone through, our legal system must be trusted to serve its intended purposes. We cannot have vigilantes running all over the city avenging crimes as they see fit. Your request for time to get your affairs in order is granted with the condition that you turn in your passport and do not leave the state of California. You are hereby ordered to surrender to the Los Angeles County correctional facility in fourteen days." The judge slammed his gavel and just like that, I was a convicted felon.


	2. Chapter 2

thank you so much for your reviews, i know you guys have a lot of questions concerning the sequel and i am here to answer them! this story will be multi chapter and will most likely be lengthier than the other story (this also depends on how many words there are per chapter). i know you guys mentioned the whole rated "t" instead of "m" and i switched it just in case because at the moment it's just what austin is experiencing and it's not like ally's going to forgive him quickly (wink, wink).

* * *

Even though my place was blocks from the beach, the smell of the ocean permeated the air. I took a deep breath and filled my lungs with freedom. _Damn it smelled good._

The last thing I did before turning myself in for two years of hell, was check Dez's sister into rehab. I knew she did well; I saw it on her face every other Saturday when she came to visit. Yet for some reason, I was suddenly nervous to show up unannounced and surprise her.

When I unlocked the heavy metal door to my place, pop music blasted through the open-air loft I called home. I smiled hearing it, even though De'z shit taste in music drove me up a wall growing up. "Dez?"

I lived in a renovated warehouse—sound was normally muted from the high ceilings, but it was completely lost to the howlish sound of Taylor Swift blaring through the indoor speakers. "Didi?" I called slightly louder, wondering if anyone was home. After everything Didi had been through, I didn't want to startle her. I had no idea if she was still skittish. After the attack, she jumped if anyone walked into a room, even when she knew they were there. I dropped my key in the bowl on the table near the door and headed to the kitchen.

A man wearing a dress shirt and boxers was ironing on my granite counter. We spotted each other at the same moment. He held up the iron like a weapon; I held up my hands in surrender. "Are Dez and Didi here?"

"Who are you?"

"Relax, bro." I spoke calmly, keeping my hands in the air where he could see them the entire time. If there was one good thing about spending two years in prison, I'd definitely learned how to defuse a violent situation. "I'm their friend—I live here."

Boxer boy's eyes flared. "Austin?"

Well one of us was filled in. "That's me."

"Shit. Sorry. I thought you were getting out next week."

"Overcrowding." I narrowed my eyes on the iron he was still holding. "You want to put that thing down now, yeah?"

"Yeah. Of course. Sorry." He set the iron on the counter and took two steps toward me, extending his hand. "My name is Dallas. I've heard so much about you."

 _You've got to be shitting me? Dallas?_ "Wish I could say the same."

"Do you think we could stop at the—" Didi's voice abruptly halted as she turned the corner into the kitchen. "Oh my God!" She almost knocked me over when she flew into my arms. "You're here! You're home!"

"I am." Didi held me in a death like grip. She was crying, but unlike the last time I hugged her, these were tears of happiness. I pulled back to take a good look at whom I considered to be my little sister. I'd seen her every other week, but I'd only gotten glimpses of what she wanted me to see. She was twenty-four now, dressed in a skirt and girly blouse with her hair fastened on top of her head. She looked a lot like Dez.

"You look… different. Grown up."

She wiped her tears and smoothed her skirt. "This is how I dress for work. I told you. I'm a secretary now."

Dallas cleared his throat. The bloke was still standing in his boxers. "I'm late. I should get going. It was great to finally meet you, Austin."

I eyed him. "I hope you put some pants on first."

He gently placed his hand on Didi's shoulder as he passed and spoke softly, "Take the morning off. I'll see you this afternoon."

Didi smiled at Boxer Boy, then looked at me while biting down on her bottom lip. "Sorry. I didn't know… Dallas is one of the partners at the accounting firm I work for."

"An accountant?"

"Yeah." Didi smiled. "Not the type I normally go for, huh?"

Didi had a knack for picking one loser after the next. The crowd she hung out with wasn't exactly conducive to meeting CPAs, Dez got tired of warning her about them. "As long as he's good to you." I couldn't help myself. "And keeps some damn pants on when I'm around."

Didi and I spent the entire morning catching up, I asked her where Dez was and she mentioned how he had moved in with his girlfriend Carrie and was in the middle of directing a movie in San Francisco. I took a mental note, reminding myself to call my best friend whenever I was free, which was going to be very often now that I was home. Didi seemed… happy. I was very proud of how much she had done after the incident.

"So." Didi took the mugs we'd been drinking from and placed them in the sink. She leaned her bum against the counter and folded her arms over her chest. "Are you going to go see her?"

"Who?" _Why was I playing this game again? I knew damn well who she was referring to._

"Your wife." Her eyes pointed to the ring I'd already forgotten was on my finger. I shoved my hand into my pocket.

"She's not my wife."

Didi rolled her eyes. "Your fake wife. Whatever. Are you going to go see her?"

"Don't start, Didi." One lonely visit, I'd turned into a Mary and spilled my guts about Ally to both Dez and Didi. I regretted it instantly. They spent the next twenty-three months trying to talk me into writing to Ally and telling her where I was. Didi even suggested she go visit Ally to have a chat and keep the hope alive.

"Have you looked her up yet?"

"I've been out for three hours."

Didi squinted. "So that's a yes, then?"

I shook my head, not responding, but she knew the answer. "I'm going to take a long, hot shower. It's been a while."

The look of hope on her face dropped. I walked to her and lifted her chin so our eyes met. "Hey. I'm proud of you. Let's not go backwards anymore. I'm free. You're wearing a damn bun in your hair and dating a guy who thinks a spoon was invented for stirring. Everything turned out pretty good, I'd say, yeah?"

Her eyes welled up again, and she gave me one last hug. Didi was good. I could sleep soundly tonight. It might just be the first time since before I left Ally sleeping in Las Vegas. At the thought, I reached up and rubbed at my chest to soothe the ache.

"Will you be here when I get home tonight?"

"I was actually thinking of heading up north. See about a job opportunity," I lied. Suddenly, I was in the mood for another road trip.

* * *

My anxiety grew as I merged from State Route 91 to I15 and started to see the first signs for Temecula. I had no idea where I was going, or what the fuck I was going to do when I got there, but I needed to see she was okay.

Stopping at a combo gas station-grocery store, I stocked up on typical stalker snacks. Fun dip, Sour Patch Kids, popcorn and, of course, Pixy Stix. The cashier looked at me like I might be luring kids into the back of my van at the corner of the local elementary school. "Sweet tooth," I offered with a shrug. He didn't really give a shit.

It may be sunny in this part of California three-hundred and thirty days out of three-hundred and sixty five, but it started to rain as I pulled my pickup truck onto Jefferson Avenue in downtown Temecula. It was nearly five o'clock. People dressed in suits were starting to come out of the office buildings that lined the street. I found the tall building marked 4452, parked a half block away, and slumped down in my seat and waited. With low music and a sack full of candy, I could sit here and bask in the simple things for half the night. Who knew I'd be such an expert stalker?

Two hours passed before I saw her. She stepped out from the building and stood under the overhang as the rain pelted down on the sidewalk in front of her. Not wanting to be seen, I slouched even further into my seat, eyeing her just above the steering wheel.

She looked beautiful. Her hair was longer, the waves looser, cascading halfway down her back. An emerald green silky blouse made her contrasting pale skin even more striking. A black skirt hugged her hips and, even though I couldn't see the back, I imagined how the material clung to her shapely ass. Gorgeous. Full of all the class and sass that I knew she was. It had been two years, yet what I felt for her hadn't dimmed one bit. Which is why my knuckles were turning white as I gripped the steering wheel when I saw a man's hand wrap around her tiny waist.

 _Mother fucker._ I hadn't expected her to be single, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw. Some asshat in a navy suit opened an umbrella and snuggled Ally close to him. I couldn't breathe as he whisked her into the parking lot across the street, shielding her from the rain, and disappeared out of sight. Minutes later, a car edged out onto the street, waiting for traffic to let it in. I was sure it was them before I even saw the smiling faces in the car. A black goddamn BMW. His name was probably Biffy.

Dejected, I sat in my truck for another two hours, rather than follow them. If just getting a load of her walking with some bloke tore me to shreds, I wasn't ready to see any more. But I also wasn't ready to leave.

* * *

Getting piss ant drunk wasn't in my itinerary. Then again, neither was stalking until a few hours ago. I checked into a motel only a few blocks from Ally's office on Jefferson and walked to the adjacent bar before even seeing my room. Now, three hours later, I was sufficiently stewed. Cassidy, the bartender, and I hit it off right away.

"You ready for another one, hot stuff?"

I held up my glass and rattled the ice. "Keep 'em coming, Cass." She walked over, gave me a sultry smile and filled my glass. This woman was seriously sexy.

I was normally a light drinker, beer or wine was more my thing than hard liquor, and it had been two years since I last ingested the poison. Finishing my fourth Rum and Coke, I realized I was drunker than I thought as my words were starting to slur. And… I was unloading my problems onto a bartender I never met. I'd already filled Cassidy in on my whole life story, in less than two hours.

"So what are you afraid of?" She asked, leaning her forearms on the bar.

"I don't want to hurt her."

"Sounds like you already did."

She had a point.

"You wanna know what I think?"

"Why else would I be here this evening?"

Cassidy chuckled. "I think you're afraid _you'll_ get hurt."

* * *

The next morning, I woke with a wicked hangover. Even though I had a screaming headache and it felt like the desert had taken over my mouth, I hoisted my dragging body out of bed at the ass crack of dawn. Ally had left with someone, looking too comfy for my liking; I needed to see if they arrived together, too.

There was a Starbucks three doors down from her office, and I thought it was a distinct possibility she'd make a pit stop before work. So I parked with a view of the entire block and slumped into position. Three hours passed. I was in desperate need for a second cup of coffee, and there was no sign of Ally.

I reached into the glove compartment, pulled out a baseball hat, and slipped on my sunglasses. It wasn't a great disguise, but the chance of running into her by now had to be slim. The moment my feet touched concrete, I saw her turn the corner. _Fuck._ I froze for a moment and then, luckily, instinct took over.

I hopped back into the cab of my pickup and slouched down. She was busy texting on her phone and didn't look up until she hit the door to Starbucks. _T_ hat _was close._

A few minutes later, she emerged with her white venti coffee cup and never looked in my direction. Damn. She looked just as good going as she did coming. And she was alone.

I did the same thing that afternoon. The five minute glimpses of her were enough to make the whole day worthwhile. So I did it again the next day… and the day after that. Ally had a definite routine. I wasn't surprised. She arrived at nine-thirty and left at seven. Two out of three of my evening stalkings, the asshat was with her when she called it a day.

I'd even settled into a routine of sorts. I reported for morning stalking at dawn and ended my day at dusk. In between, I took off for a few hours and went to a gym two towns over. The evenings, I spent drowning my sorrows with Piper.

This particular morning, the hotel hadn't set up the coffee urn by the time I was ready to leave, and I was itching for some caffeine. Seeing as I had Ally's routine pretty much down pat, I snuck out of my truck and slipped into her Starbucks. It gave me a thrill to be inside, even though I was certain she wasn't arriving for hours.

I ordered my plain old black coffee, and the young girl behind the counter smiled. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No. I'm good. Thanks." Then a thought escaped my mouth. "Actually. Do you know a woman who comes in every morning about nine twenty? Brown hair and chestnut highlights, probably orders a nonfat three-pump vanilla latte, low foam and extra hot?"

"Sure. Ally."

I dug a twenty out of my pocket and held it out to the girl. "Her coffee is on me today."

She looked confused.

"Keep the change. And don't give her a description of the guy who wanted to buy her coffee, okay?"

She shrugged and stuck the twenty in the front pocket of her jeans. "Sure thing."

A few hours later, I watched Ally go inside, right on schedule. She was texting away as she walked in. But when she came out with a huge smile on her face while carrying her complimentary extra hot, low foam, nonfat three-pump vanilla latte, I knew it wasn't the last time I wanted to be the one to put it there.


	3. Chapter 3

After a few days, I decided to change up my stalking itinerary. I hadn't yet ventured to Ally's house. Heading there while she was at work would give me some clues about her life, namely whether she was shacking up with the asshat. I'd decided that I needed as much information as possible before confronting her, even if some of it was going to make me ill.

When I pulled up to the small brown bungalow, the exterior looked like typical Ally: quirky, a little messy but unconventionally and stunningly beautiful at the same time. The first thing that caught my eye, though, was the grass out front. It looked like it hadn't been cut for months. What the fuck kind of man lets his woman's grass get to nearly a foot high?

 _Jackass._

With my baseball cap and sunglasses, I looked around me to make sure there were no nosy neighbors. Peeking in the window, I saw that the inside was much tidier than the outside. Her living room had cream-colored furniture, and there were some silk flowers on the coffee table. There was nothing to indicate one way or the other whether a man was living there.

I nearly fell back into the bushes when I saw the shadow of something moving. It couldn't have been Ally because I'd waited until she safely disappeared into the office building before coming here.

 _Who the fuck was in her house?_

Adrenaline pumped through me. Deciding to walk to the window at the other side of the house, I trudged through the overgrown grass, swearing under my breath again about it.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the face plastered against the glass pane. Not just any face.

"No fucking way!" I yelled.

My voice must have scared him, and he went down for the count.

Mutton. _Holy shit. Mutton!_

Through the window, I watched as the goat lay on the ground. He'd fainted. Of course. Shit. I kept tapping on the glass to try to wake him.

"Come on, little guy. Wake up."

After a few minutes, he eventually wriggled his body and stood upright. He kept moving around in circles and seemed discombobulated. I needed to get to him and decided to try to break open the window. I'd replace it if I had to. To my surprise, it slid right up on the first nudge.

What was she nuts leaving her window open? She probably slept that way at night, too, making it easy for any crazy lunatics to enter her bedroom whenever they wanted.

I'd have to remember that for the future.

I was halfway through the window. Waving my hands for a blind goat to come toward me, I said, "Bugger! It's me. Come here, buddy."

The animal came right to me and placed his face in my palm. Gently scratching his head like I used to, I said, "You're a good boy. I can't believe you're still here." I muttered to myself, "You're nuts, Princess. Royally nuts. But I'm glad you kept him."

Call me crazy, but he seemed to remember me. He let out a long, "Baaaaa." The second time, I could've sworn it sounded like "Daaaad."

"What's been going on here, huh? You're my spy. Is she happy? Does she hate me? Tell me."

"Baa."

I scratched his head harder. "Eh, you're no help." He started to lick my face. "Oh, God. I never thought your putrid breath would be a welcome scent."

Mutton wouldn't let me go. It occurred to me that one of the neighbors could suspect I was a burglar. Getting arrested was the last thing I needed at this stage of my life. My eyes wandered around the room and caught a glimpse of a man's suit hanging over the closet door. My heart sank.

I kissed his forehead. "I've got to go. I'll come back and see you again. I promise."

He grunted.

"I know. You don't trust me anymore. You have no reason to right now. I have to earn that back."

For the first time, I noticed that a piece of metal was jingling from around his neck. "What the hell is this? She has a collar on you?" I looked closer at the name.

 _Pixy._

Hope filled my heart, which suddenly started beating faster. I rubbed my thumb across the engraved lettering. After everything I'd been through over the past two years, don't ask me why this moment was the first that almost caused my eyes to water a little. It was just the right push I needed to keep this going—a little bit of hope that maybe she didn't wish I were dead after all.

It took me a few minutes to get him to let me leave. He was trying to jump out the window to go with me. I was finally able to close it.

When I turned around, the goat's face was still plastered against the window. I suppose I could've broken all the way into the house to get more clues about her life, but that would have been pushing it. Like I told Mutton… Pixy… I had to earn my way back into their lives, not steal it.

There was one more piece of business I had to take care of before heading back downtown. I remembered passing a home improvement store on my way to the house.

After a quick trip over there, I returned with a modest Craftsman push mower.

It took me about forty minutes to mow Ally's lawn. When I got to the side of the house, Pixy was still waiting at the same spot. A few of the neighbors walked by, and I'd wave with a gigantic smile on my face. I hoped that they'd assume that she dumped Biffy's lazy ass in exchange for a real man who did yard work. Either that, or maybe they just figured I was a landscaper.

Admiring the smooth tracks along the grass, I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. My work here was done, but the real work was just beginning.

* * *

That night, I'd somehow missed her. Either she left in the middle of the afternoon, or she was still inside working late. After waiting until eight-thirty, I finally had to give up and reluctantly left for the bar. A huge feeling of disappointment consumed me. Seeing Ally at the end of the day was always my reward, and I felt cheated today.

"Cassidy, hit me up," I said, assuming position on my usual stool.

She was wiping the counter. "Blondie! You're late tonight. Stalking overtime?"

"Eh. Today wasn't so great."

She stopped wiping to grab my drink. "What happened?"

"I somehow missed her at the end of the day."

"You're losing your touch," she said, slapping my Rum and Coke down on the dark wood counter.

"I'm losing something… my marbles, maybe."

Cassidy leaned her elbows down on the counter. "Anything good at all happen today?"

I started to laugh. "Actually, something great happened. I found my goat."

"Your coat?"

I chuckled again. "My goat. With a G."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

I proceeded to tell her the story, everything from how Ally and I found him to the shit—quite literally—that happened while on the road.

"Aw… that's so cute. So, he's kind of like your child."

"That was what Ally used to say."

She must have noticed a look of melancholy wash over my face. "What's wrong?"

"There was a man's jacket hanging in her room. I think he's living with her. They could be engaged or married for all I know."

"Well, you wouldn't know, would you? Because you haven't _talked_ to her." She took her rag and whipped it over my head jokingly.

"This has to be handled carefully. I don't want to fuck it up."

"There's handling it carefully, and there's avoidance. How long are you really gonna camp out like this? You need to just rip the Band Aid off, man."

Taking one last gulp down and slamming the glass on the table, I said, "I hate when you're right, Cass."

"You must hate me all the time then." She winked.

* * *

Ally looked so incredibly beautiful walking into work the next morning. As usual, she stopped into Starbucks to grab her coffee before heading into the building.

The ache in my chest was bigger than ever because I knew D-day was nearing. Even though I'd made a vow to "rip the Band Aid off" in the next couple of days, I still hadn't figured out how I was going to approach her.

When she was finally safely inside, I let out a deep breath and exited my truck to head into Starbucks and get my own coffee. Hung over again this morning, I'd slept through my alarm, arriving too late to risk going in earlier and paying for her drink.

I decided to try something new today. I wanted to taste Ally. Well, I wished. Instead, I decided to order that frou frou drink she always ordered to see what it tasted like.

"I'll have a large nonfat, three-pump vanilla latte, low foam and extra hot."

The young cashier's face always seemed to light up when she saw me. "You're ordering her drink today... for yourself?"

"Changing things up, yeah."

"What's your name?"

"Why do you need my name?"

"It's just procedure with specialty drinks. We write it on the side."

"Oh… Austin."

She wrote my name in black marker on the cup, and I walked over to the other counter where you're supposed to pick up your order.

I watched the barista make a couple of the drinks in line before mine. What a friggin' process between the steaming and the frothing. It better have been complicated for five-bucks a pop.

I heard the cashier's voice. "Ally. What are you doing back so soon?"

My eyes quickly darted toward her then I immediately pulled my baseball cap down and turned around toward the back wall. Heart pounding. Chest constricted. Stomach nauseous. A rush of adrenaline.

 _Oh Fuck._

 _Fuck._

 _Fuck._

 _Fuck._

My heart had never beat so fast. I heard her voice behind me. "My boyfriend came into my office to talk to me and knocked my drink down with his elbow. It spilled all over my desk."

 _Fucking clutz._

"I'm sorry. Let me get you another one free of charge."

"Thank you so much, Piper. I appreciate that."

It felt like the walls were closing in on me. The sound of the steaming milk suddenly seemed deafening. I wondered if I could get away with sliding away slowly with my back facing the wall until I was behind her and out the door. Just as I'd started to move, the kid making my drink shouted, "Austin!"

"Did you just say Austin?" Ally said.

At this point, I was just behind her.

Piper, who probably figured Ally was just my innocent crush, decided that moment would be a good time to play matchmaker. She outed me. "Austin is the guy who paid for your drink the other day. He's right there."

Ally flipped around so fast that she accidentally backed into a display of plastic iced-coffee cups, knocking them down like dominos onto the ground.

Seeming unphased by the disaster she'd just created, she stood staring at me with her hand over her chest as if it were holding her heart in.

I took my baseball cap off and crossed it over my chest. With pleading eyes, I whispered, "Hey."

Looking like she'd just seen a ghost, she slowly shook her head as if to say 'this can't be happening.'

I took one step toward her.

She held her hand out, stopping me in my tracks. "No! Don't you dare come near me."

My heart fell to my stomach, and it felt like my guts were twisting.

This was not how I pictured things going down.

I lifted both of my palms. "I won't. But please, just hear me out."

"You've been stalking me?"

"Not exactly."

We were both silent. Filled with humiliation, I bent down and started picking up the cups she'd knocked over. Ally stayed frozen in the same spot.

Nosy Piper spoke from behind the counter, "Why won't you just listen to what he has to say?"

Ally's chest was still rising and falling. She finally spoke, "Let me ask you this, Piper. If a guy led you to believe that he cared about you, then fucked you and left before the next morning without so much as a sticky note goodbye, would you hear him out?"

"Probably not." She laughed then added, "Well, if he had an ass like Austin, maybe." One of the other female employees giggled.

Ally looked at me with daggers in her eyes and continued, "Okay… what if he never contacted you for two whole years after that, then all of a sudden showed up stalking you in your hometown. Would you hear him out?"

"Definitely not," Piper said. "That's just weird."

"I rest my case."

Ally suddenly zipped past me and out the door. She was gone.

Feeling like she'd just ripped my heart out and fed it to me, I stood defeated in the middle of Starbucks.

After a minute of staring blankly outside the store window, I heard a voice inside my head that sounded awfully like Mom. _"Grow some fucking balls and fight for her."_

And that marked the end of my subtlety streak.

I flew out the door and ran down the street, hoping I could track her down before she went inside her building.

There was no sign of Ally anywhere. Flying through the revolving doors, I spotted her as she was waiting to get into an elevator. Just as she disappeared into one, I stuck my hand in the doors to open them.

She was alone.

Tears were pouring down her face. _She'd been crying._

As the elevator rose up, I hit the stop button.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she screamed.

Panting, I said, "If this is the only way I can get you to listen to me, then so be it."

"You can keep me trapped in here for—oh, I don't know—TWO years for all I care. I'm not talking to you. Maybe then, you'll know what it feels like."

Locking her against the wall with one arm on each side of her trembling body, I said, "I'm glad to see you're stubborn as ever, Ally."

Seeming uncomfortable with my close proximity, she swallowed before saying, "I need to get back to the office. Move this elevator, or I'm calling the police."

"I get that you're in shock. You weren't supposed to find out that way."

"Is there a good way to find out that the person who tore your heart to shreds is now stalking you?"

She had a point.

"Probably not. But you have to let me explain."

The words that came out of her mouth next were hard for me to hear. "Do you realize how long it took me to get over you? My life is only just now getting back to normal. You can't come back after two years and expect me to just let you in after I've fought so hard to let go of you. I'd finally let you go. Please. I'm begging you to leave."

My chest was so tight it felt like it might burst.

 _She'd let me go._

 _Well, too fucking bad. I'm back._

"I'll go. But I'm not leaving town until you agree to let me explain what happened. If you still want me to go after you've heard it all, then I swear to God, Ally, you will never see me again for as long as you live."

Her eyes started to water again as she looked into mine. Without taking my eyes off her, I let go of the stop button and pressed the number for the next floor.

"I'm staying at the Sunrise Motel, room eight. I still have the same cell number as before. You call me when you're ready to listen."

When the doors slid open, I got out, leaving Ally in the elevator with the ball in her court. I just hoped she didn't choose to deflate it.


	4. Chapter 4

Was it even considered stalking anymore once the victim became clearly aware of the stalker's presence? Now that Ally knew I was in town, it was a totally different experience with the risk of getting caught removed from the equation.

The only real stress was the wait for her to contact me. I'd check my phone constantly, thinking that maybe I'd missed her. But she never called.

Not wanting to piss her off more than I already had, I made a decision to take a break from showing up outside her office for a few days. Instead, I worked out hard at the gym all morning, taking my frustrations out on my body. I hadn't touched a woman in over two years, and the only one I wanted was apparently taken and hated my guts. So, pumping iron was my way of coping with it until I could get her back. I only dreamt of all the ways I could take everything out on Ally instead.

After the gym, in the early afternoons, I'd head to her house and continue the landscaping there. Someone had to take care of it, for Christ's sake. I laid down mulch, planted and put in two princess flower bushes. Who knew there was such a thing as a princess flower? They were the perfect choice.

The neighbors were used to seeing me working. With my pickup truck and mower in the back, they just figured landscaping was my job. My skin was now a shade darker after working for days in the sweltering heat. More and more mothers with strollers were walking by lately, too. I'd wave to them with dirt on my hands. These new female spectators seemed to be multiplying by the day.

The best part, though, about spending the afternoons at Ally's was my time with the goat. Always waiting at the window, he'd come to expect me.

 _Pixy._

I still had to get used to calling him that.

I'd bring him lunch. We'd eat together. I was becoming unhealthily attached to the smell of his breath mixed with freshly-cut grass.

 _Stinking Bugger._

My nighttime schedule was the same as always. I'd head to the bar and unleash all of my troubles onto Cassidy.

One Friday night, however, there was a surprise change in my routine. I was sitting on my stool at the bar when Cassidy asked, "What did you say Ally looked like?"

"Why?"

"Just describe her to me."

"Petite but curvy, brown hair with chestnut highlights, wide eyes, creamy skin…"

"Does she normally wear dresses by any chance?"

I scratched my chin and remembered she was wearing one this morning. "Yeah… yeah, she does. Why?"

"I think she was just here. Some girl fitting that description was looking over at us through the front window. I just made eye contact with her, and she took off."

I turned around. "What?"

Cassidy waved her hand towards the door. "Go after her."

Without thinking, I hopped off my stool and ran outside. Sure enough, Ally's Audi was exiting the parking lot. My heart was racing as she sped down the road. Since I'd walked to the bar, I couldn't even follow her. My little lead foot Princess jetted away too fast for me to stop her.

I took out my phone and scrolled down to her number to send a text.

 **Austin: Who's stalking who now?**

There was no response. After a few minutes, a return text came in. My heartbeat accelerated.

 **Ally: It was a coincidence.**

 **Austin: Don't text while driving.**

 **Ally: Why did you text me then? And don't tell me what to do.**

 **Austin: Pull over, Princess.**

 **Ally: I wasn't stalking you.**

 **Austin: Don't text me again until you've pulled over.**

Staring down at my screen, I just stood there in the parking lot. After several minutes, the phone vibrated again.

 **Ally: Is that what you do every night? Troll bars around town for women?**

 **Austin: Are you parked?**

 **Ally: Yes.**

 **Austin: I've only been trolling around town for one woman. Said woman drives me to drink. Thus, the bar.**

 **Ally: I wish you'd just go home. Stop texting me.**

 **Austin: Stop texting? I figured you'd like the vibration.**

No response.

That might have taken it too far. It was too soon to joke with her like we used to. I sent another text, giving her the honest response to her request that I go home.

 **Austin: My home is where you are.**

 **Ally: You burned down our home in Vegas after you fucked me and left.**

It fucking hurt so badly to see those words. I stared at them for almost a full minute before responding.

 **Austin: There was a reason I did what I did and I need to explain it to you in person. I won't do it over text.**

 **Ally: There is no excuse for what you did.**

 **Austin: Where are you? I'm coming to you.**

 **Ally: No. Please don't.**

 **Austin: You have to see me eventually if you ever want to get rid of me.**

 **Ally: Why are you doing this?**

Because I love you.

Fuck.

Where did that come from?

 **Austin: Please come back to the bar or I can walk to you where you are. I can't drive because I've been drinking.**

 **Ally: I can't see you tonight. I'm not ready.**

 **Austin: Will you ever be?**

 **Ally: I don't think so.**

 **Austin: Who is he?**

 **Ally: Who?**

 **Austin: Your boyfriend.**

 **Ally: You mean, you don't already know? What kind of a stalker are you?**

 **Austin: Tell me his name.**

 **Ally: His name is Gavin.**

 **Austin: Is he living with you?**

 **Ally: That's none of your business.**

 **Austin: I saw his jacket hanging on your closet door.**

 **Ally: You've been staring into my bedroom?**

 **Austin: Yes. Only when you're not home. And I never entered your house. I wouldn't.**

 **Ally: It's still sick.**

 **Austin: I can't believe you kept him, by the way.**

 **Ally: I don't abandon the things I claim to care about.**

 **Austin: Neither do I. It's why I'm here.**

 **Ally: After two years?**

 **Austin: I came here the first chance I got.**

Even though it was true, I'm sure that confused her. She didn't respond. So, I texted her again.

 **Austin: You named him Pixy. That's proof that you don't hate me.**

 **Ally: I can't do this anymore.**

I didn't want to upset her any further. So, I stopped the communication.

It surprised me when my phone vibrated again back inside the bar about fifteen minutes later.

 **Ally: When have you been doing the gardening?**

 **Austin: All day while you're at work.**

 **Ally: Thank you.**

If it were possible for a heart to smile, I swore mine must have done it in that moment.

 **Austin: You're welcome.**

 **Ally: Please don't feed him corn anymore. He doesn't digest it and it's not pretty.**

I chuckled.

 **Austin: Whoops.**

That was the end of our conversation that night. It was more than I could have ever hoped for.

* * *

Ally was still avoiding seeing me at all costs. When another week went by, I knew my approach needed to be more aggressive. With each day that passed, it bothered me more and more that she didn't know the reason behind my leaving. And I still refused to have that conversation any other way but in person.

I understood that she was scared, but it was becoming urgently necessary to find a way to get her alone so that we could talk.

One Thursday afternoon, I got a call from my agent about a new potential marketing opportunity. So, I did what anyone in my position would do before entering into a new business deal: I got lawyered up.

"I have an appointment at eleven with Ms. Dawson."

The receptionist smiled and looked down at the appointment book. "Mr. Bastardo?"

"The one and only." I was grinning from ear to ear like an idiot. The woman probably thought my excitement was for her. She was a pretty girl; I bet plenty of men lit up around her. But my enthusiasm revolved around only one woman. Even hearing her voice through the intercom made my heart speed up a bit.

"Yes, Kelly?" Ally said.

"Your eleven o'clock consult is here."

"Thank you. Would you show him back in five minutes? I need to get organized." I pictured her desk scattered with papers.

Kelly let go of a button and spoke to me. "You can have a seat. I'm actually going to give her ten minutes. She's one of the best attorneys here at the firm, but her desk is usually a disaster."

I sat in the reception area and thumbed through a magazine as I waited, but I couldn't concentrate. I'd been waiting almost a week for this appointment. Yesterday I went and picked up my new suit. It was custom tailored and fit well. When I looked in the mirror, it might have been the first time in two years I didn't hate who stared back at me.

I straightened my tie and hoped the sales lady who helped me pick it out was right. She'd said the blues of the tie brought out the color in my eyes—it would be impossible not to hold a woman captive. Oddly, her choice of words fit what I wanted to do to Ally… hold her captive. Quite possibly for the rest of our lives. I may have only spent eight days with this woman, but we learned what takes most people six months of dating. Coming to Temecula confirmed what I spent the last two years thinking about—I was a goner when it came to Ally Dawson.

Kelly walked around her desk. "Mr. Bastardo? If you're ready, I'll take you back now."

I took a deep breath. "I'm very ready."

We walked down two long halls and passed a few men in suits. This place was a goddamn smorgasbord of Biffys. Another turn and then Kelly stopped at a door. Corner office.

Nice, Ally. She was appreciated here. I felt a sense of pride.

"Hi, Ally. I have Mr. Bastardo for you."

"Thank you."

Kelly stepped aside so I could enter. My attorney was looking down. She spoke before her head came fully up. "It's nice to—"

Ally froze. I could have sworn there was a flicker of excitement in her eyes for a second. But it was quickly extinguished… replaced by anger. I'd expected her reaction.

"Mr. Bastardo?" She rolled her eyes. "How did I not figure this one out?"

"Because you don't speak Spanish." I smiled, but she wasn't amused.

"Austin. I'm at work. I can't play your games here. You need to leave."

I buttoned my jacket. "I'm here on business."

"Nice try. I'm a copyright attorney. If you've gone and gotten arrested for public intoxication or lewd and lascivious behavior, you'll need to go three doors down to Celino and Barnes."

"I'm in need of a copyright attorney."

"Is that so?" She wasn't believing a word I was saying.

"It is."

"Well in that case, you'll need to see another attorney." She stepped around her desk and folded her arms over her chest. Fuck if her getting tough with me wasn't the sexiest thing I'd seen in ages.

"I don't want another attorney."

"That's too bad."

We stared at each other for a moment. Then she smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, it was an _I'm about to stick something up your ass and enjoy it_ smile. I didn't care. I liked seeing it anyway. I smiled back—twice as broad.

She huffed and left the office.

A few minutes later, she returned. I'd settled in and made myself comfortable in a chair in front of her desk. I stood when she walked in. A man walked in right behind her. The princess fucker.

Ally looked pretty pleased at herself when she spoke. "Gavin. This is Mr. Moon. Mr. Moon is in need of a copyright attorney, and I seem to be double booked for this afternoon, so I thought perhaps you could take him on."

He extended his hand to me. "Gavin."

I nodded. "Dick. Good to meet you." The squeeze I gave his hand when I shook it bordered on assault.

I caught the clench in Ally's jaw. Then she corrected me. Through gritted teeth, "His name is Gavin."

"It's fine." Dick waved her off. "I'm used to it. I don't usually shorten my name, but my dad was also called Dick very often.."

I gave Ally a little smile.

She seethed.

"Why don't you come down to my office, and I can see what I can help you with?"

"I'd actually prefer to wait for Ms. Dawson. I was referred to her specifically."

"I'm not available," Ally snapped.

Dick seemed taken aback by Ally's little attitude. That warmed me for some reason. I liked that she didn't give him her sass. Save it all for me, baby. I want all your sass _and_ your ass.

"Well." Dick turned to Ally. "What else do you have today? Maybe I can handle one of your afternoon appointments?"

"I'd prefer you handle Mr. Moon."

Dick looked at me apologetically then spoke to her, his tone mildly patronizing. "It seems Mr. Moon wants his affairs handled by you, personally, Ally."

I smiled at Ally. "I've been really looking forward to you _handling_ me."

Dick came to my rescue. "Why don't we step into my office and see what I can do to help clear up your schedule so you can get things started with Mr. Moon?"

Dick and Ally left the office, and Ally returned five minutes later, with the receptionist, Kelly. "Have a seat, Kelly." She'd brought a chaperone.

I was disappointed I wouldn't be getting quality alone time but far from deterred. Ally, on the other hand, was not happy. With a huff, she pulled a yellow legal pad from her drawer and slammed it down on her desk. "What's the nature of the legal services you need, Mr. Moon?" Her pen was poised to write and she didn't look up. Kelly looked bewildered at the entire scene playing out before her.

"I have two, actually." I opened the folder I was carrying, took out a large manila envelope and slid it across the desk to her side. "I've received an offer from a company who would like to use some photographs of me in their ad campaign."

She snickered. "Oh. That's right. You're an ass model."

I ignored her. "Anyway. The company that wants to use the photographs in their campaign wants the exclusive rights to the photo, and there's a company that is using the photo on their website without permission. I need to send them a cease and desist letter to remove it before I sign the contract."

"Fine."

"And I'd like the contract reviewed as well."

"Anything else?"

"Perhaps you'd like to discuss the terms of the contract over dinner?"

"I don't think so."

"Breakfast?"

"Get out, Mr. Moon."

I stood. I'd pushed pretty hard, and I didn't want to test my limits. "You know how to reach me when you've had an opportunity to look over the documents?"

"Yes." She finally looked up at me. "Apparently, now you're available all the time."

She was pissed. But somehow, her being pissed gave me hope. If she didn't care, she would have eased up by now. "Thank you for your time."

"Kelly. Show Mr. _Bastardo_ out, please."

* * *

Over the next three days, I stuck to my routine. Well, mostly to my routine. I arrived on Jefferson Street at my normal time, only I went inside Starbucks in the morning and read the paper while I had my morning coffee. Each day I paid for Ally's coffee and added a little something to the order. Yesterday, it was a banana nut muffin. Today, I decided on chocolate chip coffee cake. I ate the same thing and drank the same coffee. It was as close to having breakfast with Ally as I could get right now.

Piper, my barista, and I were becoming fast friends. She handed me my latte. "She smiles when I tell her you paid, you know."

"She does?"

Piper nodded. "She tries to cover it up quick. But I see it."

She had no idea she just made my day. "Thanks, Piper."

She leaned over the counter as if to tell me a secret. "We're all rooting for you."

It was sweet. But they didn't know what I'd done to Ally.

At eight o'clock, I went back into my pick up truck. I wanted to be near her but not piss her off by being completely in her face. She didn't acknowledge me, but she knew I was there every morning.

Like clockwork, at nine thirty, Ally walked into Starbucks. A few minutes later she walked out. With her coffee and chocolate chip coffee cake in hand, she took two steps toward her office, then stopped, surprising the shit out of me when she headed right for my truck.

I rolled down the window.

"Could you at least make my breakfast lowfat in the future?"

I had to stop myself from saying what I really wanted to say—that I would make her whatever she wanted every morning at her place. Instead, I said, "Sure thing."

She nodded and turned away but halted after only two strides. She didn't turn around when she spoke. "The princess flowers bloomed this morning. They're beautiful." Then she was gone for another ten hours.

I went to the gym and spent a few hours at Home Depot picking up the supplies I'd need for my next project at Ally's. When I originally decided to drive down to Temecula, I had taken my pick up truck rather than the motorcycle so I wouldn't be as easily recognizable. Turned out, the truck was coming in handy.

It was a scorching hot afternoon, and I took off my t-shirt to wipe the sweat that was dripping from my forehead. I had unloaded eight trips worth of cedar into Ally's backyard in the ninety-degree heat. As I closed up the rear gate to my pickup, a woman who passed by frequently stopped to speak to me.

"Hi. I'm Kira." She had on one of those short white tennis skirts, knee high rubber rain boots and a skin tight, low cut tank top. The sky was blue, and it hadn't rained for days.

"Austin." I nodded.

She lifted her hand, which was in a cast, to gesture down the street. "I live down the block, Austin. I've been watching you out here for a week. I was wondering if you'd like to do me?" She was propositioning me to mow something, but it definitely wasn't her lawn. It had been two years; looking was a given, but I had zero interest.

I caught her eye. "Thank you. But I only do Ally."

"Lucky woman. You've really… added some curb appeal to the place."

I looked back at the once drab bungalow. It was looking pretty good now. "Thanks. They're princess flower bushes."

"I wasn't talking about the gardening."

I tried to change the subject. "Hope you didn't injure your hand too badly."

"I think I went overboard with the pleasuring." She winked, walking away and tossed back over her shoulder, "If you change your mind, my house is number 41. Stop by. _Anytime_."

Later that night, I was recapping my day to Cassidy when my phone vibrated on the bar. I had texted with Dez earlier and expected the text to be from him again. I was thrilled as shit to find it was from Ally.

 **Ally: Your photograph was removed from the website today. I also negotiated compensatory damages.**

 **Austin: Wow. That's great. You're good.**

 **Ally: I'm good at my job. You'll need to sign a release. I also have some changes to suggest on the contract.**

 **Austin: Where are you? I can come by now.**

 **Ally: Come by my office tomorrow at 9:30.**

 **Austin: I'll bring our coffees.**

The vibrating stopped, and I thought it was the end of our conversation. A minute later my phone danced on the bar, and my heart danced right along with it. It's pretty amazing what can give you hope when you're desperate to find some.

 **Ally: Are you building a pen for Pixy?**

 **Austin: I am.**

 **Ally: He's going to love it.**

My phone went quiet after that, but I didn't give a shit. I had a date with Ally in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

Green was my new favorite color. It was obvious Ally fancied it herself, seeing as it was the second time she'd worn a green blouse since I started my stalking routine.

I cleared my throat and spoke, "You look beautiful."

"Did you hear a word I said?"

I hadn't actually. I was too busy undressing her with my eyes to concentrate. God, what I wanted to do to her. The desk was making it impossible to focus. She was sitting behind it, but all I envisioned was her ass on top of it with my head buried between her legs. Our eyes locked, and she saw what I was thinking.

"Don't." Her eyes were pleading, and she held up a hand. But I needed to push today.

"We need to talk, Ally."

"No. We don't. I'm at work, and this is a business meeting. That's why Kelly is here." She motioned to the receptionist who was again sitting next to me. If Ally thought I was above spilling my guts in front of Kelly, she misjudged my level of desperation.

"So see me after work. See me for breakfast. See me at two in the morning. I don't give a shit where or when. Just see me, Ally. We need to talk. We both need to set things straight."

"I'm already straight. And I've decided our time together will be limited to this office."

We stared at each other for a minute. The only one to flinch was poor Kelly. She fidgeted in her seat like she needed to go to the bathroom. Finally, I broke our standoff. "Alright, Ally. Then you leave me no choice."

"What are you taking about?"

"We're going to have our conversation right here and right now then."

Ally stood and folded her hands over her chest. "We are not!"

I rose and joined her, mimicking her posture. "Yes. We are."

Kelly's voice was apprehensive. "Would you like me to leave?"

Ally and I answered at the exact same time. Only I said yes and she shouted no.

Kelly stood, then sat back down when Ally glared at her.

"Where should we start then, Ally? Since Kelly here doesn't know the whole story, maybe we should start with the last time we were together with a desk in the room?"

Ally's eyes flared.

I turned to speak to Kelly. "Have you ever been to Las Vegas? There's a hotel on the—"

"You can go, Kelly." She didn't need to be told twice. Kelly darted out of the room and closed the door behind her. I'd need to remember to thank her for that on my way out.

"Why are you doing this, Austin?" She tried to keep stern, but her voice cracked.

"I just need you to hear me out. I'll leave you alone if you want me to after that. I give you my word."

"Your word?" she scoffed.

"Fifteen minutes. That's all it will take."

"Ten."

That sass. I couldn't help but smile. "Fine. Ten. Can we sit?"

Reluctantly, Ally sat down. I'd been waiting for more than two years for this moment, yet suddenly I didn't know where to begin. So I started where the story did.

"Do you remember I told you about Dez's sister, Didi?"

She nodded.

"I told you she went through a rough patch. But I left out just how rough things really got."

Her face softened slightly. I blew out a rush of air and raked my fingers through my hair. There was a burn running from the pit of my stomach up through my throat. Time didn't ease what had happened one bit. I could have been having this conversation with the detective two years ago. The words were just as hard to get out. "Didi was raped."

Ally's mouth dropped open, and her hand flew to her chest.

"I wasn't there for her. She got mixed up with a bad crowd."

"I'm so sorry. Is she okay?"

I smiled thinking of Dez's sister the other day. Wearing a damn bun in her hair. "Yeah. She's doing pretty well now."

Ally nodded. "So that's why you left?"

"Yes. But there's more."

"More?"

"It's a long story. But the police were having trouble finding the guy, and I did some things."

"What kind of things?"

I held her eyes as I spoke the next part. "I beat a man until he told me where I could find the guy who'd attacked Didi."

One of the biggest fears I had was that my admission would scare her. But Ally didn't flinch. _That's my girl. Fearless_. Her reaction gave me the courage to go on. "I injured him badly. I had to pay for what I'd done. The afternoon after I left you, I began a two-year prison sentence."

Ally stared at me. I gave her a minute to digest everything I'd just said. Then I finished what I'd come to say. "I got out the day before I showed up here. I never planned on meeting you before I went in. I tried everything I could to keep my distance on our trip. But I couldn't."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you deserved better. I didn't want you waiting around for two years. You had just dumped one loser and were ready to move on. I couldn't saddle you with anymore baggage."

"So instead, you broke my heart?" The question wasn't asked meanly; she was trying to make sense of it all.

I nodded. _And mine, too._

We were both quiet for a long time. She was staring down at her hands folded on her desk. I had one more thing I needed to say, and she needed to hear me. I shifted in my seat and leaned forward, covering her hands with mine. "Can you look at me?"

She hesitated, but did.

"I'm sorry, Ally. For everything. For hurting you. For leaving you behind. For not being there when you woke up. For not being there every day since then."

Ally closed her eyes. There was a look of pain on her face, and I hated that I put it there. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her so badly, but I didn't. I'd pushed enough and anything more was selfish. My heart was pounding in my chest and when she finally opened her eyes again, she was staring at our joined hands—at the ring I was still wearing on my finger. _My wedding band._

Her eyes watered.

The silence was torture. "I'm sorry Dez, Didi and you had to go through that," she finally said, her voice hoarse.

"Me, too. I just want to put it behind me and move on."

Another bout of silence. "I was finally happy. Gavin makes me happy."

That fucking hurt.

She continued, "I need time to process. I've spent the last two years hating you."

"I understand." _Let me make it up to you._

"How long are you staying in town for?"

 _As long as you want me to._

"I don't really have a plan yet. But I'm sort of in the middle of a project."

That caused the corners of her mouth to twitch up a bit. Although she was quickly serious again. "I need some time," she repeated.

It had been two long years, but I'd finally said my peace. Now I was going to have to wait to see what would bring Ally hers.

* * *

I'm not sure what I thought I would feel after finally getting to tell Ally everything, perhaps a sense of relief. But the reality was, I felt even more anxious than before. Before, we had unfinished business. But now… what if, knowing everything that happened, she forgave me, yet she still had no interest in being with me? We'd either just opened a new door or finally given each other closure.

I sat in my truck for two hours outside of her office, even though I promised I'd give her space. I just needed to see she was okay for myself. My head was pounding, and I shifted my seat back, ready to close my eyes for a few minutes. But a flash of green caught my attention right before my lids shut. Ally was standing in front of her building carrying her briefcase. She slipped on sunglasses, looked down and walked across the street. Unlike most days, she wasn't checking her phone or walking with an energetic bounce. Instead, her posture looked defeated, and her walk was more of a trudge. A minute after she disappeared into the lot where she parked her car, I watched her Audi pull out and turn toward home.

Surprising even myself, I didn't follow her.

Instead, I decided to refocus my energy. Being prepared for a fight meant getting to know your opponent. It was about time I got to know a little more about Dick.

At nearly seven, my adversary made an appearance. He rushed to his BMW and took off in the other direction of Ally's place. I cut a quick u-turn and followed. The princess fucker took me on a nearly half-hour drive before exiting the highway. I wasn't familiar with this part of California, but it didn't take a geography expert to know we were in a less than idyllic neighborhood.

There were the obvious visible signs—buildings with broken and boarded up windows, graffiti, messy yards, timeworn cars that looked abandoned. The few commercial buildings that held stores, had bars covering the doors and windows. A very visible police car was parked at the corner of a four-way intersection.

 _Where the fuck did Dick live?_

I followed a half-block behind, careful not to call attention to my pickup. He weaved in and out of side streets that made me want to lock my doors. Eventually, he slowed and pulled to the curb. I parked on the opposite side of the street, five or so cars back. If I was going to keep up with this shit, I really needed some fucking binoculars. Dick reached into the back of his car, pulled out a bag, and proceeded to start changing his clothes right there in the front seat of the car.

 _What the fuck was he doing?_

The street we parked on was lined with dilapidated muti-family housing. A half-dozen bandana clad guys hung around on a stoop nearby. I was pretty sure I'd just left a couple of them behind at the state penitentiary. Dick got out, looked around skittishly, and headed to one of the rundown buildings. He disappeared down a set of concrete stairs that looked like it led to a basement entrance.

A few minutes later, another man headed to the same door. This guy had a long, matted beard and wore a wool cap and heavy army jacket, even though it was still close to eighty-five degrees. He was also scratching his face incessantly and looking around frantically as he walked.

 _Dick was in a crack den?_ The day was getting a lot more interesting.

After spending two years in a prison full of criminals, I was anxious to get the fuck out of there as night fell. The neighborhood that had seemed desolate was suddenly starting to come alive—with people who didn't go out until they could hide in the shadows of darkness.

But I waited. If Dick could be out here, so could I. More than an hour passed before the Princess Fucker jogged up the stairs and onto the street. With a brown paper bag in his hand, he wasted no time getting in his car. His fancy ride pulled away as soon as his door was shut.

I didn't follow him.

Curiosity had gotten the best of me and before I knew it, I was locking my truck. I hadn't planned what I was going to do once I got to the door—buying a vile of crack as evidence to show Aubrey that Dick was a dick, probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. I would have to settle for understanding what I was up against and worry about what to do with the information later.

The stairwell was narrow, with only a few steps leading to a closed door. When I got to the bottom, I found the door was actually left a crack open. There was also music coming from inside. I edged it open. At first, a little. Then a little bit more. Until the door suddenly swung open, and I nearly fell into the building.

I looked up expecting to find a gun to my head for breaking into a crack house. But what I found couldn't have been more different. A priest was holding open the door and extended his hand into the room behind him, welcoming me.

"Come in. Ladels of Love is happy to feed you this evening."

It took a minute to realize what I'd just walked into. A soup kitchen. The Princess Fucker wasn't buying crack; he was feeding the indigent.

 _Fuck me._

I was definitely going to need to up my game.

* * *

It seemed Ally and Dick were quite the pair of philanthropists.

Sitting in my truck on Jefferson a few days later, I opened the local newspaper, and smack dab in the middle of the community section was Ally's beautiful smile along with an article about a new animal shelter that had just opened up.

 _Local attorneys Gavin and Ally, a member of the Park Street board of directors, helped raise over five-hundred-thousand dollars to support the shelter's new facility._

At the end of the article, there was a phone number for the shelter. I immediately dialed it.

A girl answered, "Park Street Animal Shelter?"

"Hi, I was wondering if you're looking for any volunteers?"

"Actually, yes, sir. We are in dire need of dog walkers. Is that something you might be interested in?"

"Absolutely. I could come by this afternoon."

"We'll have you fill out some paperwork we need to process, so you may not be able to start until later in the week."

"That's fine. I can't wait to help."

Take that, Dick.

* * *

Stalker, landscaper, goat sitter… add dog walker to the list of new occupations held by Austin Moon during my stay in Temecula.

The daily routine now consisted of having virtual Starbucks breakfast with Ally, hitting the gym, landscaping (aka Pixy time), followed by late afternoon strolls with anywhere from three to five dogs at once. For someone without a real job, I was busier and in better shape than ever before in my life.

One Friday afternoon, I was at a park walking a Great Dane, a German Shepherd mix and a Greyhound when a text from Ally came in.

 **Ally: Received your new contract today. They need you to sign it this afternoon so they can meet a production deadline.**

Trying to control all three barking dogs with one hand, I used my phone's voice to text feature to respond.

 **Austin: I'm dog walking at Slater Park. I can come there right after.**

 **Ally: Dog walking?**

I knew that would pique her interest. As a matter of fact, I was banking on it. This was perfect timing to let her know about my newest venture.

 **Austin: I've been volunteering for your shelter. I saw the article. I know that place means a lot to you. Wanted to help.**

 **Ally: Are you serious?**

 **Austin: I'll come by the office around 5:00 after I walk them back?**

 **Ally: I have plans tonight, so I have to leave the office by then. Why don't I just stop by the park now and have you sign it really quick?**

 **Austin: Where should I meet you?**

 **Ally: By the concession stand at the entrance around 4:15.**

 **Austin: See u then.**

Perfect.

If I were being honest, the dogs were really walking _me_. I let them lead me to wherever they wanted to go. I'd pick up their turds with pink plastic bags provided by the shelter and dump the crap into the public trash.

 _The things I do for you, Ally Dawson._

When it was time to meet Ally, reigning the dogs in became a necessity. "Hold your horses, guys. Let's go this way." The two bigger ones really were more like horses than dogs anyway.

I stopped when I spotted her. She didn't see me at first. Ally was standing alone with a manila folder tucked under her arm, eating an ice cream cone. My mouth watered as my eyes followed the movement of her tongue sliding along the ice cream. The sunlight caught the natural chestnut highlights in her hair. A light breeze blew her skirt up teasingly. I missed those legs.

 _Actually, I missed those legs wrapped around my back while I was buried deep inside of her._

My dick twitched at the thought. The dogs weren't happy about having to abruptly stop so that I could gaze at her. They retaliated by suddenly charging toward where she was standing, dragging me behind them.

Ally erupted in laughter when she saw me struggling to contain the three barking beasts.

"You've got your hands full." She smiled

All of this was worth it just to earn a genuine smile from her, which was rare lately. She had some ice cream on her bottom lip, and I yearned to suck it off. It seemed the dogs were just as enamored with Ally as I was. They started jumping all over her. The Dane snuck some of her ice cream cone. It was covered in slobber, so she let him have the rest. Ally seemed to be eating the attention up, though, letting the three of them practically trample her and lick her face. The Shepherd looked like he was about to hump her leg.

Dogs got away with murder.

I'd never wanted to be one so badly in my life.

Tightening my grip on the leashes, I said, "Guys, pipe down. Give poor Ally some space."

"Interesting advice coming from you, Austin."

"At least I haven't tried to lick you." I wiggled my brows. "I've thought about it. "

"You have, have you?"

"Yup. Just now, actually. But I can restrain myself when I want to. That's a brownie point in my corner, eh?" I winked.

"Well, congratulations for not acting like an animal."

"It's not easy sometimes, because I know what I'm missing, seeing as though I've already sampled your kibbles n' bits."

Shaking her head, she said, "You're crass."

"You like it."

"No, I don't." She rolled her eyes, but the expression on her face was one of amusement.

 _There was my dirty girl._

She opened the folder and grabbed a pen from her purse. "We should have you sign your contract. I reviewed it carefully. It includes everything we requested, no surprises, but feel free to look it over before signing."

Scribbling my signature at the bottom as quickly as I could and handing her back the pen, I said, "No need. I trust you completely." Looking straight into her eyes, I added, "I doubt you can say the same about me, but I'm working on that."

She seemed to shut down. "You're right. I can't say the same." She tucked the folder back under her arm. "I better get going. I have to be somewhere."

"You have a date with the Dickster?"

"Stop calling him that. For the last time, his name is Gavin."

My tone turned serious. "Come on, Princess. I'm just kidding about all of it… your bits… Dick… everything. You know my sense of humor. You used to like it."

"Really? I did? Funny, because I don't remember much that happened before waking up sore between my legs and finding you gone."

 _Fuck._

 _It felt like she punched me in the gut._

 _When will this ever get easier?_

I took a step toward her. "We need to talk more about what happened. I—"

"I really do have to go," Ally said, looking down at her watch and backing away.

The dogs were getting antsy and pulling me in the direction of a couple of small Yorkshire Terriers that were running around on the loose. I yelled at them, "Shit! Slow down."

Some wingmen they were.

By the time I turned around again, my girl was gone.

* * *

After that fiasco, I went straight to the bar and unloaded the whole story onto Cassidy.

Pouring me a second drink, she shook her head. "You wanna know what I think? She's just as bad as you."

"Clarify that statement."

"You're both playing games."

I swirled my drink around in the glass. "Well, if it's a game, the fun is starting to wear off."

"She's pretending she doesn't want you here, yet she's been caught stalking you herself. If she really wanted nothing to do with you, she would have never taken your case. She could have told her boyfriend the truth, and he would have kicked you to the curb so fast, client or not. She's hiding you from him because she still has feelings for you and doesn't want him to know. Are you blind, blondie?"

My heart beat faster, filling with renewed hope. "I never thought of it that way."

"You need to put a stop to this cat and mouse game. Find out what her intentions are. You're a good guy, Austin. I know you hurt her pretty badly, but you're hurt, too. She needs to know that. Stop pretending you're okay with all of this."

"What do you suggest?"

"Cut the patient hero act. How many bushes can you possibly plant, Mr. Green Thumb? It's not helping anything. What you really need is to plant yourself in _her_ bush! Stop wasting time, and tell her what you want."

I cackled. "Forget about green thumb. I think I have a numb green cock at this point."

"The Green Giant," she quipped.

I chimed in, "Shrek."

We were both cracking up. When the laughter subsided, I looked up at her—my sounding board. Her friendship really did mean a lot to me. "What would I do without you, Cassidy?"

She seemed to blush at my comment. That was unlike her.

Clearing her throat, she leaned her hands against the counter. "Look, in all seriousness, you need to go to her tonight. Tell her how you feel without all of the bullshit. Make sure she knows you're not going to be around forever. Time is precious. There are plenty of other women who would love the opportunity to make you happy if she doesn't care to."

For a split second, the look in her eyes made me wonder if she was referring to herself.

* * *

I took the remainder of that weekend off from stalking Ally. It was the first time an entire day had gone by where I hadn't at least gotten one glimpse of her. But I really needed time alone to think without the deterrent of her beautiful face and succulent ass.

While the last talk with Cassidy had boosted my confidence, the more time I spent alone, the more doubt started to creep in.

That Sunday, I spent a good chunk of the day at the laundromat. Watching my clothes spin round and round in the dryer helped me meditate and reflect on everything.

As much as I'd always said that I'd stick around town as long as it took, I wasn't willing to do that if Ally had already written me off. If her intention was to stay with Dick come hell or high water, then I really needed to know. It was one thing to get her to forgive me. It was another to get her to forgive me AND give me another chance, leaving a guy that supposedly made her happy and was there for her when I wasn't.

I'd decided that tomorrow night after Ally got home from work, I'd try to get my answer once and for all.


	6. Chapter 6

I skipped the Monday morning breakfast routine on Jefferson and went straight to Ally's house instead. Today would be a longer day, putting the finishing touches on Pixy's pen and making sure that everything was in order in the event that things didn't turn out in my favor tonight.

I stopped for two of the goat's favorite burritos—sans the corn—and brought lunch over to the window.

Watching him gobble them in just a few bites, I scratched his head. "Listen, I have to tell you something important."

He was too busy licking the burrito wrapper to look up at me.

"I need you to know that if I go away, it's not because of you. Alright?"

"Baa."

"I want nothing more than to see you every day and for the three of us to be together. I just don't know anymore if that's going to be possible. If it's not, I have to go away again. Because it will make me too sad to stay."

He looked at me with his droopy eyes. Even though he was supposedly blind, sometimes I swore he could see me.

"I promise if that happens, I'll never forget you, Bugger, okay?"

Pixy rested his chin in my hand, and I did something I never had before. Reaching down, I kissed his forehead. It wasn't the type of kiss I was hoping for in Temecula, but it was the next best thing. He was the official mascot of my time with Ally, always at the center of the good memories that we shared. I'd never forget him. I took a selfie of us. Now I could cross "kiss a goat" off my bucket list.

The rest of the afternoon, I went in search of princess flowers. I didn't want to steal them off the bush I'd planted, so I needed to find a florist who carried them. I was finally able to snag a bouquet and took it back to my motel.

I showered, put on dark jeans and a fitted black shirt and splashed on some cologne. Needing to look and smell my best tonight was going to be important. I decided against calling Ally first. I didn't want her to try to talk me out of coming over. So, showing up at her door tonight would be a gamble.

It was a clear evening. The lights from inside her bungalow lit up the otherwise dark street.

 _She was home._

 _I was home._

With my heart racing, I parked my truck around the corner and sat there for at least twenty minutes rehearsing what I was going to say. Someone came out of the house I was parked in front of.

The woman approached my truck in a flimsy nightgown and slippers. When I saw the cast on her hand, I remembered it was Ally's neighbor, Kira. Now, it seemed she had a cast on her leg as well. What the fuck? This chick was a hot mess.

"Hey, handsome. I saw your truck out here."

"Sorry, I didn't realize you lived here. I shouldn't have parked right in front of your house."

"Are you kidding? I got all excited, thought maybe you had decided you wanted to mow me after all."

"No, I'm not in the neighborhood on business."

"Maybe you'd like to just come in and fuck me then?"

"Wow, well… um… while that's a tempting offer given your lovely… casts… and all, I'm not really available for that. But thanks."

"Why don't you come in for a drink then? I promise I won't bite."

"No. Actually, I'm heading over to Ally's."

She placed her cast on her hip. "You are aware Ally has a boyfriend, right?"

"I'm quite aware of that, yes."

"Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me." She arched her head to see an oncoming car. "Actually, looks like he just turned the corner. This should be interesting."

"Who?"

"That was Ally's boyfriend's BMW that just passed by."

My stomach sank. _Fuck._

After Kira finally left me alone and went back inside, I just sat for the longest time not knowing what to do. Grabbing the flowers, I eventually got out of the truck, planning to just leave them at her doorstep.

As I approached, what I saw in clear view through the window nearly stopped my heart. Ally was sitting on the couch with Gavin as she leaned her head on his shoulder. She looked content. At peace. It looked like they were watching a movie.

As much as it hurt to see it, I couldn't look away. That vision was the essence of my dream. There was nothing more in the world that I wanted than to come home every night to her and do exactly that—just be with her. With each second that passed as I stood there, the seeds of doubt were growing. Suddenly, for the first time since arriving in Temecula—even with all the stalking—I truly felt like an outsider looking in. It really hit me. While jail had thrown me into a time warp, time had indeed passed. Ally had moved on.

 _She'd moved on._

 _You fucking fool, Austin._

 _This was why you did what you did, remember? It was what you supposedly wanted for her._

At least twenty minutes must have gone by after that realization, and I was still standing in the same spot on the very lawn I'd manicured to perfection. I knew why I was feeling sick.

 _I was mourning her._

Walking away from her the first time left her devastated. My walking away the second time now would devastate _me_. This time, I didn't seem to know how to leave. I couldn't not say goodbye. For now, I'd leave the flowers at the door, maybe send her a message or call her tomorrow to let her know about my plans to return home.

Arriving at her doorstep, I knelt down to place the flowers over the welcome mat. A thump startled me. Pixy must have smelled me or something. He appeared at the dining room window, which was just on the other side of the front door.

He began to "baa" incessantly.

"Shh!" I warned.

Just as I started to walk away, the exterior light flashed on, and the front door opened. I turned around.

Ally was standing there. "Austin…"

Lifting my hand slowly, I said, "Hi."

"What are you doing here?" She looked down and spotted the flowers, bending to pick them up. "You were leaving these at my doorstep?"

"That's right. I wasn't planning to come in."

Dick appeared, placing his hand possessively around Ally's tiny waist. My eyes landed on it then moved up to meet Ally's frightened expression.

"Mr. Moon," Dick said. "How can we help you?"

We.

 _Fuck you, Princess Fucker._

"I was just coming by with a little token of my appreciation for Ally's assistance with my legal matter."

"That was nice of you, but you should have stopped by the office instead of coming here."

 _Dick._

"Actually, I'll be leaving early in the morning. So, this was my only opportunity."

Ally had been looking down at the flowers. Her head immediately lifted, and her stare was now penetrating my own. "You're leaving town?"

"That's right. My business here is done." I continued looking straight into her eyes, so she understood how serious this was. "I wasn't going to leave without saying goodbye."

She stood there speechless. Pixy was standing right by Ally's legs. Knowing what he was angling for, I bent down, closing my eyes to let him lick my face for the last time. When I stood up, Dick, who seemed confused about my instant bond with the goat, looked back and forth between the animal and me.

Tightening his grip on Ally, he said, "Well, we wish you the best."

"Thank you." I started to walk away before turning around one last time. My voice was strained. "Take good care of her."

I didn't care how inappropriate that last comment was. It needed to be said.

Swallowing my pain, I walked across the grass without looking back at her. I couldn't. After I turned the corner, I got into my truck and sped off.

* * *

I headed straight for my motel room. I'd wanted to go to the bar to say goodbye to Cassidy but was scared of drinking myself into oblivion. Someday soon, I'd write her a letter or something to let her know how much her friendship meant to me.

Ally hadn't called or texted. That only solidified the fact that my leaving was for the best.

Tossing and turning, sleep wasn't happening for me. Unable to rid my body of the excruciating physical ache of knowing I would never touch her again, I conceded to my insomnia. I sat up at the edge of my bed, pulling my hair in frustration as I looked over at my packed suitcase while checking my phone for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Looking down at my hand, I took off the fake gold band from Vegas and threw it angrily in the trash can. While a part of me never expected her to call, a bigger part of me was shattered that she didn't. What bothered me the most was that I still couldn't envision my future without her in it.

A knock at the door startled me.

The motel was in a seedy area, so I made sure to check the peep hole before opening. The view inside was a distorted version of a distraught Ally. My confused heart accelerated despite having been emptied earlier of all hope.

I opened the door but said nothing as she walked past me and sat on the bed. I stayed standing across from her. The silence was deafening as we just looked at each other. Then, she started to talk.

"I waited for six hours in the lobby that day…"

When a teardrop fell down her cheek, I grabbed her a tissue and handed it to her before sitting down next to her. My body tensed in anticipation of what she'd say next.

"I was so sure that you were coming back. I kept hearing in my head what you'd told me the night you came home late from getting us dinner in Arizona, when I got scared. You said, 'I would never do that to you.' So, I held out hope for a while. I felt like a fool because even though all of your belongings were gone, I still believed you were coming back. I know it was only eight days with you, but I felt closer to you than anyone. I saw a future with you."

My chest constricted. "Tell me what happened when you got here. I need to know everything even if it hurts to hear it."

"I was very depressed for a long while. I threw myself into the new job. A couple of months after the move, I met a guy. He became a really good friend. His name was Elliot. He was so sweet and good to me. We were friends for six months before he became my boyfriend. He knew everything about what happened between you and me." She laughed a little, looking over at me for the first time. "He hated you."

I smiled even though that made me hurt on the inside.

She continued, "I put up a wall, wouldn't let him in. I was still so wrapped up in you even though you were gone, and you'd hurt me. You were still all I wanted, all I yearned for. Everywhere I went, everything reminded me of you. Elliot knew it. He wanted more from me than I could give him. He wanted my heart, and even though you'd broken it, it still belonged to you."

"How did you end up meeting Gavin?"

"After things ended with Elliot, I decided I really needed help. Between my career, my relationships, even my family dealings… I felt… stuck. I started seeing a therapist. She helped me to make some changes and stop blaming myself for your leaving. She helped me move on somewhat from the trust and abandonment issues. I'm still working on them. She also made me see that I had to accept that you weren't coming back. By the time Gavin entered my life seven months ago, I was ready to let someone in again. He was hired as a partner at the firm. That's how we met."

"As much as I rank on his name, he seems like a nice guy."

"I've never told him about you. Yes, he is a wonderful person. He and I have a lot of common interests. He encourages me to follow my passion. He's the reason I started getting involved in the animal shelter."

"That's a good thing."

"He wasn't the first person to inspire me that way. That was the one thing you did for me, Austin. You taught me so much in a short amount of time about how to live life. Even though you broke my heart, I never regretted meeting you. I still wouldn't go back and change it. That was the thing that always seemed so fucked up to me. A lot of who I am now is because of you."

"Do you love him?"

Without hesitation, she said, "Yes." Her answer felt like a gunshot to the chest at point blank range.

Swallowing, I said, "Okay…"

"I've been very confused. As much as I care about Gavin, I'm not going to lie. Your showing up has turned my world upside down. I could have never guessed the real reason that you were gone. Everything I believed to be true… isn't. I assumed you abandoned me for other reasons."

"I thought I was doing you a favor."

"Why didn't you want me to wait for you?" Sounding pained, she added, "I would have waited every single one of those days."

I caressed her hair. I couldn't help it. "I never doubted that. But I thought you'd grow to resent me. I didn't know what being in jail would do to me and didn't want you waiting for a man who I wasn't sure would be worth it. In reality, the experience made me a stronger person, but I had no way of knowing that back then. More than anything, you didn't deserve to have to put your life on hold just when you were trying for a fresh start."

"Even though I now understand things more clearly, the way you left was still traumatizing. Even if things were different with Gavin, I don't know that I could ever fully trust you not to leave again."

Hearing that made me uneasy. I stopped beating around the bush.

"Just answer me this. Am I really too late?"

My heart was pounding. She hesitated, and something in her eyes gave me a glimmer of hope. This moment felt like my last opportunity, and I wasn't too proud to beg.

She was still sitting on the bed when I fell to my knees below her, resting my head on her stomach. "Just tell me what to do, Ally." I repeated, "Just tell me what I need to do to get you to give me another chance."

I hadn't been touched by a woman in over two years, so when she raked her fingers through my hair, it seemed to feel better than anything I'd ever experienced in my life. My breath hitched. Her breathing was ragged. Each sound that escaped her went straight to my cock. Being so close like this made me desperate for a taste of her. I wasn't beyond taking advantage of her sexual attraction to me.

If I had to play dirty, I would. Speaking slowly over her stomach, I said, "Let me make it up to you. I swear you'll forget all the pain. You won't even remember your own name."

"No," she breathed.

I lowered my mouth and spoke over the skin just below her belly button. "Does he pleasure you? Does he give you what you really need?"

Her legs were quivering. "Austin, stop."

Her body's reaction was enough of an answer for me.

 _I was back in the game._

"Ally, look over there. My suitcase is packed. I'm ready to leave in the morning. Do I have any reason to stay? You tell me."

A look of torment washed over her pretty face. "I can't promise anything."

"I didn't ask for a promise. I asked for a chance. I'd like to start by just being your friend again… the way we began."

She got up and started to pace. "I'm still with Gavin. I won't cheat on him."

"I didn't ask you to." I walked toward her slowly, trying not to seem like a lion on the prowl despite my predatory feelings. "So, let me ask you again. Do you want me to stay?"

She looked up into my eyes and whispered, "Yes."

"Then, I'm here."

She backed away. "I have to go. I told him I was going out to get ice cream and put gas in my car."

"You'd better actually go get some then. Be careful. It's late. When will I see you again?"

"Gavin has an early meeting. Meet me tomorrow for breakfast at Starbucks at nine."

"Us? Together? At Starbucks?"

"Yes. Just don't order the same thing as me. It's creepy."

I grinned.

When the door closed behind her, my previously subtle smile transformed into a huge beaming one.

I walked over to the trash can, dug up my ring and placed it back on my finger.

 _Slow and steady wins the race._

* * *

I stayed up half the night trying to come up with some grand scheme of making Ally trust me again. It had been two long years, and I wanted back in so badly—both figuratively and literally—I felt like I could explode. But in the end, I knew there was no grand scheme. It needed to happen the way we happened. Just us being us, a little at a time.

Now, that didn't mean I wasn't going to try to use every available advantage I could come up with. It just meant that I'd have to sprinkle those advantages around lightly over time.

In the shower, I thought back to the things that made Ally's eyes sparkle. The first time I saw her eyes glaze over, we were in a diner, and I'd fed her from my plate. The greasy eggs and sausage were dripping with Sriracha, and all I could think about was how I could never enjoy a meal again alone after watching her eat from my hands. My shower might have taken a bit longer than I anticipated. But I was ready for my breakfast date. And damn was I hungry for Ally.

I stopped by a local deli and picked up some things, prepping for our breakfast. Before I left my place, I'd swiped some of my favorites from Dez's food stash. I headed over to Starbucks early with a large brown bag, wanting to clear my bringing breakfast in with Piper before Ally arrived.

"You're late this morning." Piper pulled out a cup and began to write on it with a marker for the barista behind her.

"Could you make it two of those? I'm meeting someone for breakfast." My cocky smile was enough to tell Piper who that someone was.

Piper's eyes widened. She truly looked excited for me. "You mean you'll be sharing coffee with her this morning, instead of just picking up the tab?"

"I will."

She clapped her hands together. "I knew it! Gavin's a nice guy and all. But it's not the same. You've brought out a side of Ally we've never seen."

I hoped that side was the real Ally, and she'd still kept it hidden for me. I wondered if good 'ole Dick knew my girl liked to fight and had a dirty streak in her. I was banking on the fact that he was fucking clueless. "Listen, Piper. Do you mind if I bring in some breakfast this morning? I picked up some things to share with Ally."

"Of course not. By all means. Do whatever is necessary."

"Thanks, Piper."

I picked the coziest seats I could find. They were in the corner, two brown distressed leather chairs with a small table between them. I pulled the chairs closer together before I set out our breakfast. Ally showed right at nine.

I stood when she arrived at our table. There was an awkward moment at first. I wanted to lean in and kiss her, even if it was only on her cheek. But her body language was rigid—almost nervous. "Morning." I nodded.

She forced a timid smile. "Hi."

I gestured to the table behind me. "I already got us coffee and picked us up some breakfast."

She sat. "What is all this?"

"It's breakfast."

"Breakfast? Here at Starbucks?"

"I sort of brought it in. Piper was good with it."

Ally looked back over her shoulder at the register. Piper and two others were blatantly watching us with huge smiles on their faces. She rolled her eyes when she looked back at me. "Tell me what you're feeding me?"

I smirked. She frowned. "We need to set some ground rules."

"You're setting me up to fail then."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know if you set up rules, I won't be able to help myself. I'll need to break them."

"Rule number one. No breaking the rules."

"That's a little extreme isn't it? If I break rule number four then I've gone and broken two rules. You're being difficult already."

"I could leave."

"Why would you do that? I like you best when you're difficult."

"You would."

"Why don't we get something in you? I think you're extra cranky because you haven't eaten yet."

"Fine." She looked at the food on the table and licked her lips.

Fuck me. This was going to be harder than I thought.

I offered her a bite of the toast. She attempted to take it from my hand. I pulled the offering back from her reach. "It's a tradition, you feed each other the toast. It's sort of a peace offering between new friends." Okay, so that part, I totally made up. But I'd skipped the hello kiss, so I needed something.

She shook her head, but looked amused. "Fine." Ally opened her mouth and closed her eyes.

Jesus Christ. This woman was going to be the death of me. Two years. Now I had to look at the woman I'd been dreaming about for all that time with her painted lips opened and eyes shut waiting for me. And I thought prison was a test of restraint.

Together we devoured everything I brought as we danced around real conversation with small talk. I knew in order to start to win back her trust, she needed to see what Didi and Dez meant to me. I also wanted to open myself up to her—transparency invites trust. Dr. Phil was one of the approved shows in prison.

"When Dez and I were kids, I used to like to play practical jokes on him. Saran wrap his body to the bed while he slept. Saran wrap the toilet bowl so he would pee on the floor. Hide under his bed until he got into it and turned the light off. Then I'd jump out and scare the crap out of him."

"Seems like you guys are closer than I thought."

"He got even with me once." I offered her the last bite of the toast, and she didn't hesitate to open. Why did I love that she ordered salads with Dick and let me fill her with carbohydrates and empty calories?

"What did he do?"

"He was maybe eight or nine, so I was the same age. I'd just found both music and girls. There was a girl I'd taken notice of, and she seemed to have noticed me, too. Izzy. She would always sit next to me in music class and I would try to impress her. I had her just where I wanted her. Until I turned around."

"What did Dez do?"

"He'd painted the back of my white uniform with some brown thing. It's not a pretty sight."

She laughed.

"Izzy lost interest, and I became Austin dirty pants."

We both cracked up. "And to think, years later, that dirty pants ass would become famous."

"You know, that poster has my face on it, too. It's only a little of my ass showing."

"Trust me. It's the ass that sold it."

"Are you saying you like my ass better than my face?"

She shook her head and didn't answer, but her cheeks pinked up a bit. "So how did you get even with Dez?"

"I didn't." I shrugged. "I was proud of him, actually."

We talked for two more hours. About nothing. About everything. I could have sat there for days. When Ally's phone buzzed on the table, both our eyes caught the name flashing before our gazes locked. Gavin. Dick.

"I should go. I can't believe we've been sitting here for close to two and a half hours. I didn't even tell my office I was going to be late." She stood, and I joined her. "What are your plans for today?"

"Go walk some mutts, weed a flower bed for my lawyer. The usual."

She dug into her pocketbook and pulled out a set of keys. Slipping one off her key ring, she offered it to me. "Here. In case you need to use the bathroom or anything while you're working."

It meant so much more than just a place to relieve myself. I took the key from her hand, then linked my fingers with hers. "Thank you."

I took a step closer. _Fuck, she smelled good_. "Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia," I mumbled. Pavlov himself would have drooled at how the smell had conditioned me. It brought me back to the first night in our hotel rooms. The smell permeated her bathroom, and those black lacy underwear were on the counter. Shit. Taking care of myself did nothing to quench the thirst I had around her. My pants were growing snug.

"You remembered the name of my perfume."

I couldn't help myself this time. I wrapped my arm around her neck and pulled her against me tightly for a hug. "I remember everything about you," I whispered in her ear.

She was flush when we separated, but her face grew crimson when she looked down to escape my stare and caught sight of the obvious bulge in my jeans.

"It's been more than two years," I offered quietly as an explanation.

"You haven't—"

"Been inside a woman in two years." Then I thought better of my phrasing. "I haven't touched another women since I met you. And I don't plan on it."

I watched her throat swallow before she spoke. "Thank you for breakfast."

"When will I see you again, Princess?"

"I have to go out of town tomorrow morning. I'll probably be getting on the road early and back late. I'll text you the day after tomorrow, maybe."

I hated that answer. But I took it. "Have a safe trip."

* * *

I walked some dogs, went to the gym and decided to skip Ally's for today. After my time with her this morning, I didn't want to screw things up by being inside stalking when she arrived back home. And there was no doubt once I walked inside her house, I'd be doing a full investigation. So instead, I showered and headed for some quality time with my favorite bartender. The place was always empty at this time.

"You look particularly gorgeous today, Cassidy." She had on a red shirt with large white polka dots that was tied just under her breasts, revealing a shitload of smooth skin. Her pinup girl style hair was done up with a red scarf.

She poured me a drink. "You're in a good mood today. Finally grow some balls and go after that woman?"

"I'm working on it."

"You've been working on it for two weeks now."

"It's a marathon, not a sprint." I sucked back a mouthful of my drink.

"What are you, the Dalai Lama?"

"I'm starting to feel like a Buddhist Monk. They don't get laid either, do they?"

"Let me ask you something. Why don't you go to a bar and pick up a willing woman and get the dirty deed over with? It's been a long time. Just have sex. Sweaty, body slapping, meaningless, dirty sex. It might make you feel better."

Honestly, I'd noticed a few women lately. I'd have to be dead not to. Yet my body didn't have the desire to be with anyone else. "I would feel like I was cheating."

"Even though she's screwing someone else?"

That fucking hurt. "Thanks, Cassidy."

"Sorry." She grinned. "But let me know if you change your mind."

I looked down at the ring on my finger. They may have been vows spoken in front of Elvis with a buzz on, but I was committed all the same. It made me wonder if she remembered our vows, now that I was back in her life again.


	7. Chapter 7

They say that the rate of recidivism for criminals is upwards of fifty percent. I was becoming a damn statistic. Even though I had a key and wasn't technically a criminal, my little snooping gauntlet had me feeling like the felon that I was.

It started innocently enough. I let myself in to go to the bathroom; then Pixy was looking thirsty. So I went through half of the kitchen cabinets to find a bowl. Nothing too incriminating there. Some fancy wine glasses, coffee mugs with law firms etched into them, canned goods with the labels all facing the front. I smiled when I saw two bottles of the red sauce with a pompous rooster proudly displayed on the front. _My girl liked the cock sauce._

From there, I moved onto more conspicuous investigating. The bathroom had only one pink toothbrush. The tub was filled with only girly crap. I might have opened the canister of cream on the countertop and taken a giant whiff. It smelled like Ally. I was smiling like an idiot again. Until I opened the mirrored bathroom closet. Tylenol, deodorant, razors, extra this and that and… _birth control pills_. I opened the little oval container and saw Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday had already been popped out of the silver foil this week. The urge to flush the remnants of the month down the toilet was powerful. But the ramifications from doing that was something I couldn't even allow myself to think about. I ventured down the hall further.

Inside her bedroom, I opened the sliding closet doors. One of the doors was off the track and almost came crashing down onto my head. _Princess fucker fixes nothing, I see._ There was no sign of men's clothes in the closet, which made me feel somewhat vindicated after the bathroom medicine cabinet find.

On top of her dresser, there were a few framed photographs, one of which I presumed to be Ally and her dad at her law school graduation. She was looking at him as he looked at the camera proudly. I remembered he was a lawyer, too. There were a few others. One of her and a friend as teenagers. Another of an older woman and Ally. They looked alike; it must have been her grandmother. The last picture caused a crushing sensation in my chest. It was of her and Dick… with Pixy sitting between them. _Mutton, you damn traitor._ As much as it hurt to look at it, I couldn't stop staring at it for a full five minutes. Ally was smiling widely. She looked… happy. That should have been me.

I'd seen just about all I could take and was about to walk out of her bedroom, when I stopped in front of the last dresser drawers. My eyes fixated on the top drawer, which was square—the type you keep your underwear in. Seeing as I was already an asshole today, I slid it open. Inside was filled with lace. And a note.

 **Asshole – since you have nothing better to do, how about fixing the closet doors?**

I laughed for a full five minutes. We knew each other so well. Then I fixed the closet doors.

* * *

I hadn't heard from her since yesterday morning. I was hopeful maybe tomorrow she would text, excited as hell when my phone flashed her name at almost nine in the evening.

 **Ally: Thank you for fixing the doors, pervert.**

 **Austin: Anything for you.**

A few minutes passed. I wasn't sure if I should apologize for my obvious snooping or not.

 **Ally: You didn't try any on, did you?**

 **Austin: I'm more of a sniffer than a cross dresser. Plus, I like your ass in lace, not mine.**

 **Ally: Very funny.**

 **Austin: I wasn't kidding about liking your ass in lace.**

My phone went quiet. Clearly, I'd moved this conversation from friend territory. I figured why not push my luck a bit more.

 **Austin: I miss you. When can I see you again?**

 **Ally: How about a dog walk tomorrow afternoon? My last appointment at the office should be done by 4.**

 **Austin: I'll meet you at the shelter at 4:30**

 **Ally: OK.**

 **Austin: Good night, Princess.**

 **Ally: Night, Austin.**

* * *

The next afternoon, we met at the shelter. Ally arrived after me, looking as beautiful as always in her fancy dress. But when she disappeared into the bathroom and came out wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, flip flops and a pony tail, she looked fucking phenomenal. I couldn't help but stare at her as we each leashed up two dogs and headed for the park.

"What? You're looking at me like something is wrong?"

"Just looking at you. I'm not sure if it's possible, but I think you get more beautiful every time I see you."

She was quiet as we entered the park. We walked for a while and then sat on a bench. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"What was it like? In prison, I mean?"

I suppose it made sense for her to wonder what I'd spent the last two years actually doing. Seeing as all I had done for two years was wonder what she was up to. She was catching up.

"It was… degrading. Overcrowded, yet solidary at the same time."

"Did you have any visitors?"

"Dez came to see me, every other Saturday."

"What about your Mom? Is she still taking care of your ill grandmother?"

"No, she passed."

Ally looked over at me. Her face fell. "I'm sorry. That was thoughtless. Your grandmother was ill. I should have realized."

"You couldn't have known." I cleared my throat. "They're both gone now, actually. Mom died of an aneurysm the first year."

"Oh my God, Austin. I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

I opened the water bottle I was carrying and fed some to the panting pooches. Ally was still looking at me when the bottle was empty. So I gave her my full attention and waited to hear what she was thinking about.

A tear rolled down her face before she spoke. "You've lost so much."

I wiped it away and cupped her cheek. "I did." I closed my eyes briefly to pull myself together. When I reopened them, Ally was still watching me. So I continued. "Sometimes, it takes losing everything to make you realize what you really need."

She laced my fingers with hers and squeezed. We sat on the bench like that for another hour before the four dogs we were exercising decided it was time to get back up. I told her about the soccer clinic I started in prison. She told me about everything she did to get the animal shelter up and running. Her firm allowed her to do a sizeable amount of pro bono work, which made her happy. It sounded as if she had found the type of balance she was still figuring out she wanted two years ago.

After we returned the dogs to the shelter, I wasn't ready to let her go. We were standing out front, and it felt like an awkward end to a first date. "Could we go get a bite to eat?" I asked.

She bit her bottom lip. "I sort of have plans tonight."

 _Dick_. I nodded and looked down.

"But—"

I glanced back up hopeful. I wasn't beyond puppy dog eyes.

"They were sort of loose plans. Maybe I could change them."

I answered honestly, "I would really love that. I'm not ready to give you back tonight."

She nodded and excused herself for a minute, walking away to make a phone call out of earshot. When she returned, she dropped her phone into her purse. "What are you in the mood for? I need to stop home and change for wherever we go. The dogs got me all dirty, and I don't want to put back on my dress from work."

"How about we order in?"

She thought about it for a few seconds. "I don't think that's a good idea, Austin."

I held up three fingers. "I'll be on my best behavior. Boy Scout's promise."

She squinted at me as she considered the idea. "Fine."

My other hand was behind my back with two fingers crossed.

* * *

We ordered spaghetti carbonara and chicken cutlet parmigiana from the Italian restaurant a few blocks from her house. Sharing, we both dug in as soon as it arrived. She dipped a piece of bread into the sauce after we polished off both dishes. "I see you've lifted your ban on carbohydrates. I seem to remember you only allowing yourself one cheat meal a month."

"I decided I liked food too much. So I traded bread and pasta for a strict regimen at the gym. Gavin got me into running, and I realized I could burn off a slice of cheesecake in less than thirty minutes. Totally worth the half hour."

I looked away. Hearing her talk about him, and all the good he'd done for her, left me conflicted. I was happy she was enjoying things more but sad I wasn't the person who helped her learn to enjoy what life had to offer. If I was truthful, hearing his name from her lips also made me feel cross.

"Sorry." She caught my long face and offered sincerely.

"I'm being an ass. I'm glad that you're eating and exercising." I needed a minute, so I got up and took our plates to the sink. Ally cleaned up the table while I loaded and started the dishwasher. It felt so… domestic. So right. I wondered if she felt like this with him, too.

It was only eight o'clock when dinner was done. I didn't want to outstay my welcome, yet I never wanted to leave. I stared down at the kitchen floor. There were some cracks in the grout—a project for another day. "Do you want me to go?" My head was still bowed, but my eyes looked up at her filled with hope.

She shook her head and spoke softly. "How about we watch a movie?"

Pixy joined us in the living room. The minute we sat on the couch, the bugger hopped up on the adjoining loveseat. He propped his head up on the armrest and stared at us. "It's sort of his seat," she offered.

We argued about what to watch before we finally settled on a series on Netflix that Ally babbled on about. It was a show about a motorcycle gang with the mom from that old TV show, Married with Children. We had a TV in the day room in prison, but there was no way a show about bikers was on the approved list of programs. I was a few years behind on even the meaningless things like television shows.

"You know, when I first saw your motorcycle that day in the rest stop parking lot, I imagined myself riding on the back of it, my arms wrapped around that guy." She pointed to some blonde bloke on the television, riding a Harley with bright white sneakers. "I wondered what it would feel like to ride."

"Oh yeah?" She lifted her legs onto the couch and stretched them out. Her knees were bent, but her feet reached my thigh. Without thinking, I took one of her feet into my hands and started to rub. She looked pensive at first, but her shoulders quickly relaxed. "Feel good?"

"Mmmm… hmmm."

"Guess I'll be taking a trip back down to my house."

"Why is that?"

"To get my bike. I owe you a ride."

She closed her eyes as I kneaded her feet. "I'd like that."

 _Me too, Princess. Me, too._

"You wanna know what I thought the first time I saw you?"

"She chuckled. "Probably not."

"I couldn't keep my eyes off of you. You were gorgeous, but something about the way you smiled as you played with that bobblehead just did something to me."

"I thought you hated me."

"I wondered what it would feel like to ride, too. Only I wasn't thinking about the bike one bit."

Our eyes caught, and I watched as her pupils actually dilated. _Fuck_. She was getting turned on. I pressed my thumbs into the arch of one of her feet, and she closed her eyes and let out a small moan. "God, I love that sound." I heard the thickness in my own voice. My cock was growing to match it.

As I rubbed, I felt the tightness from her muscles flee. But it was replaced by a different type of tension. A raw sexual energy filled the air around us. She was relishing my touch, slowly giving into how it made her feel. My hands at her feet moved up to her calf. Her breathing became jagged with each knead. God, I missed the feel of her skin beneath my fingers. I wanted her body under mine so badly, it was almost painful to keep myself from pushing too fast. My hand slid up to the back of her knee, and I inched closer to her. Her body was so responsive to my touch.

"Austin," she moaned with her eyes shut.

I leaned into her slowly. "All—"

The sound of the doorbell was the equivalent to throwing a bucket of ice water over Ally. Her eyes flew open and bulged from her head, and her body became rigid. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who she thought was at the door.

"What if it's… Gavin?"

"So what? We didn't do anything wrong."

"But… I didn't tell him about us. You showed up the other night on my doorstep and said you were leaving town. I'm pretty sure that raised his suspicion enough. If he finds you here, he'll think something is going on between us."

I was suddenly defensive. I stood. "There is something going on between us."

"You know what I mean."

The doorbell rang again. I wanted nothing more than to stomp to the front door, swing it open and tell Dick to take a hike. But Ally was looking panicked. I raked my fingers through my hair. "What do you want me to do? Slip out the back door?" I was being sarcastic. Although, the way she looked at me told me it was exactly what she wanted. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm sorry. I really am. I… I… just can't let him find you here."

We stared at each other for a long moment. Leaving like this felt monumental to me. Like I was the other guy. Not Dick. It hurt like hell, but I did what she wanted. Without another word, I left out the back door.

I waited by the back window until I saw him inside, then walked around to the front. I couldn't watch from the outside in again. It would kill me. And there was no way in hell I could stick around to possibly watch his car spend the night. So, I left. There might have been tire marks on the street outside of her house—but I left.

Steamed, I got on the highway and headed back home. It was either that or wallow in my own self-pity with Cassidy, and I didn't trust myself to stick around at the moment. I made it about an hour before my gas light was flashing. Pulling into the combo rest stop-gas station, I parked and leaned my head on the steering wheel for a few minutes.

What was I doing? Ally was happy. At least she was before I selfishly showed up back in her life. I wanted her to want me back so badly, I questioned if I was seeing something that was no longer there. The hour drive had me flip flopping back and forth between being certain she only needed time to learn to trust me again and being certain I was doing the wrong thing for sticking around.

Just as I was about to get out of the car, the sky opened up. Rain started to teem, bouncing off the hot California blacktop making it steam like dry ice. It was eerie looking, really. Lonely, almost. Maybe it was a sign.

I jogged into the rest stop. Unable to beat the raindrops, my clothes were drenched as I headed to the bathroom. I splashed some water on my face, looked in the mirror and tried to give myself a pep talk. I couldn't even convince my own sorry ass that everything was going to turn out fine, yet I was trying to convince Ally. My phone buzzed in my pocket and, for a second, I let my hopes rise. It was a text from my carrier telling me I'd nearly reached the end of my data plan usage allotment. Now, there's a damn sign. I was running out of time.

Grumbling to myself, I walked out of the restroom and decided to grab a bite before filling the tank and getting back on the road. I laughed when I saw my choices: Starbucks or Popeyes Chicken. It was ironic, really. Perhaps, I'd stop in the small gift shop and look for an Obama bobblehead on my way out. I was internally berating myself for being such a pathetic fuckwad.

Anxious to get the hell out of there, I ordered some chicken and reached into my pocket for my billfold to pay. Something tumbled from my pocket and clanked loudly on the floor. It was the key Ally had given me. I picked it up and closed it into the palm of my hand as I paid for my meal.

It hit me then. Here I was looking for a stupid sign, when all along I'd had the key. Dick rang the bell. They'd been together seven months, and she hadn't given the princess fucker a key. I'm not the other guy. She just hadn't admitted it to herself yet. Now that was something I could give her a hand in doing.

* * *

Didi was sitting in the couch with her legs crossed. "So, you're going back tonight?"

I nodded. "I don't have time to waste. Every second that I'm here, he's getting more of an upper hand. I just came back to throw my bike into the back of my truck." I wriggled my forehead. "She wants me to take her for a ride."

"That's great and all. I just hope she's not taking you for a ride."

"That's kind of what I've been angling for, Didi."

"You know what I mean! Stringing you along. The fact that she has a boyfriend who seems like a good guy makes this complicated. She's not going to want to hurt him."

"I'm aware this isn't ideal. But here is the key to what I needed to know." I stuck my hand in my back pocket, pulling out Ally's house key. "Right here."

"That's a literal key."

"Exactly." I winked. "He doesn't have one. She gave one to me. Granted, it was to be able to use the toilet at my leisure while I'm doing her lawn. But what does the fact that he doesn't have one say?"

"That he's not cutting her grass." She laughed. "Believe me, I want to think that you're going to get the girl in the end, but the alternative makes me nervous. That's all. What happens then?"

"Then, I'll just camp out in my couch and ask Dez to ditch his girlfriend and play video games with me."

She threw a pillow at me. "That's what scares me."

"You're worried about me." I threw the pillow back. "That's cute but unnecessary."

"I really hope you're right."

* * *

With my bike gassed up, I was anxious to see her. It was Friday afternoon, so she was still in work. Unable to contain my excitement, I sent her a text.

 **Austin: In the mood to straddle me?**

 **Ally: Excuse me?**

 **Austin: Get your mind out of the gutter, dirty girl. I brought the Harley back. Care to live out your little biker fantasy with me?**

 **Ally: You want to take me out?**

 **Austin: Among other things, yes.**

 **Ally: When?**

 **Austin: This weekend sometime if you're free. I was thinking we could take a little road trip.**

 **Ally: The last time I did that with you it got me into trouble.**

 **Austin: Come on, Princess. I'll let you call me Charlie Hummer.**

 **Ally: Hunnam. LOL. Charlie Hunnam!**

 **Austin: I like Hummer better.**

 **Ally: I'm sure you do, pervert.**

 **Austin: Who's the pervert? I was talking about the vehicle. What were you talking about? Better yet… can you demonstrate?**

 **Ally: You're unbelievable.**

 **Austin: Are you smiling?**

 **Ally: Maybe.**

 **Austin: Good. So, what do you say?**

 **Ally: I can't do it tomorrow. What about Sunday?**

Not wanting to wait an entire day to spend time with her, disappointment set in.

 **Austin: I happen to be available Sunday.**

 **Ally: Do I need to bring anything?**

 **Austin: I've got it taken care of.**

 **Ally: That scares me.**

 **Austin: LOL. It should.**

 **Ally: See you Sunday then.**

 **Austin: What time shall I pick you up?**

 **Ally: Noon?**

 **Austin: Sounds good.**

She didn't respond. I couldn't help sending one last text.

 **Austin: I can't wait.**

I spent the rest of Friday afternoon and evening preparing for our Sunday trip. First order of business: buying Ally a helmet. At the store, I nearly died in laughter when I spotted one that was supposed to look like the green skin of a watermelon. It had a triangle sliced into it that made it appear like a chunk was cut off. I figured she'd kill me if I made her wear that. I settled on a different one that was perfect for her.

Not used to riding with anyone, I also adjusted the rear suspension on the bike in preparation for my passenger.

Back at the motel, I went online in search of a route that we could take and a good place where we could stop. I found a town called Julian that was about seventy-six miles away. That would mean about a two-hour ride. It was a mountainous area about an hour east of San Diego and apparently known for its apple pies. Apple pie for my apple-bottom girl. Julian it was.

I kept fantasizing about finding a bed and breakfast there where we could stay the night but knew that she would never go for that. So, our destination had to be easily doable in a round trip, getting us back at a decent hour.

* * *

Sunday finally rolled around. I made sure I pulled out all the stops in looking every bit like Ally's biker boy fantasy. Wearing a distressed brown leather jacket, blue jeans and my shiny black helmet, I was ready to claim the only woman I ever wanted on the back of my ride. Charlie Hummer better watch out.

Rather than go to her door, I revved the engine of the bike right in front of her house, prompting her to come outside. The entire neighborhood was now aware of my arrival.

Ally came out, and it warmed my heart to see her smiling. She was wearing a short, tight black leather jacket that hugged her breasts. Fuck me. Her hair was down, and she wore high black leather boots over her jeans.

As I held out her helmet, my mouth spread into a huge smile. "God, you look fucking hot."

She covered her mouth in laughter when she looked down at the pink helmet I'd picked out that had the word _Princess_ etched onto the side. "Princess? Did you have this made?"

"No. They had it at the bike shop. How perfect is that? It was fate."

"What would really be perfect is if yours said Asshole Much?" She winked. I was thrilled to see that the version of her that showed up today was feisty Ally. My dick was even more thrilled.

"Ready to roll, Princess?"

"Honestly, I'm a little scared. I've never been on one of these in my life."

"You know the feeling you have when you're riding in a convertible?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, times that by ten. That's what it's gonna be like. Fucking awesome, Ally."

She still looked nervous.

"Are you nervous, baby?"

"I can't help it."

"Don't be scared. Just don't let go of me. That's the main thing you have to remember."

"Believe me. I won't," she said.

"Is that a promise?"

She blushed knowing what I was really getting at and ignored the question.

"This is my first time too, you know," I said.

"What do you mean? You've been on a motorcycle plenty of times."

"Yes, but you're the first woman that's ever ridden behind me."

"Really?"

"Really." I put the helmet over her head. "Here, let me help you." Adjusting the strap, I looked into her beautiful eyes, and said, "Now, I'm gonna teach you some things before we leave. I read up on some safety stuff."

"Alright." She looked adorable with that huge pink helmet on her head.

I sat on the bike. "Hop on behind me."

She did as I said.

"Wrap your arms around my waist."

I stilled for a moment at the feel of them wrapped around me tightly. "See what you're doing now? Just keep doing it. Hold onto me as tightly you can."

"Okay."

I looked behind her. "Now this is very important. When I turn a corner, just relax your body. Don't lean against the turn. That's going to be your impulse, but don't do it. Alright?"

"Alright."

"The other thing is, it's going to be hard for us to hear each other unless we really yell. So, if you don't want to scream and for any reason, you need me to stop, just tap me on the shoulder. But that's the only time you're allowed to let go."

My rules regarding holding on for dear life were a bit of an exaggeration. But I was going to milk the experience of being close to her for all it was worth.

"Let's get going. Ready?"

She shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be."

I cranked the engine, and we took off down some side roads before entering the highway. Ally never did let go. Not once. I never imagined how good it would feel to have someone behind me. Well, I suppose it was because it was _her_ behind me. I'd forgotten how much I missed riding too, that feeling of shifting through the gears, the wind hitting my face and the sensory overload. It was the next best thing to sex—a feeling of absolute power. Having to focus intently on the road and everything around me brought about a strange sense of calm.

As much fun as it was, I was all too aware of how careful I needed to be with Ally's life in my hands. Being on a bike makes you overly conscious of your own mortality, particularly when you're on the freeway. Our route alternated between the highway and open country roads that were surrounded by mountains. Even though the scenery was breathtaking, I missed her beautiful face. I couldn't wait to see her all wind-burned with her hair messed up.

One of the most fun parts of the ride for me was trying to communicate with Ally. She couldn't really hear what I was saying. So, I'd shout things for the fuck of it that I wished I could say to her.

We were riding along, almost at our destination when I shouted, "I can't wait till you sit on my face."

"What's that?"

"I said, I can't wait to show you this place."

Another time it was, "I think we should get married for real."

"What?"

"Whatever happened to Captain and Tennille?"

When we arrived in Julian, Ally looked exactly as I expected she would. Her face was red from the wind, her hair wild. It took everything in me not to smash my lips into hers.

Shaking out her hair, she asked, "What are we doing first?"

I was so fixated on her, the question hadn't immediately registered. "Huh?"

She repeated, "Where are we going?"

"I heard this place is known for their apple pie. Why don't we go find some?"

Ally chuckled. "We travelled nearly two hours by motorcycle for apple pie?"

"Pretty much, yes."

"Only you would do that. That's one of the things I like most about you. Everything can somehow seem like an adventure. Even just getting apple pie."

"Is that a compliment?"

"It is." She flashed the sweetest smile. "And I would love nothing more than to have apple pie with you."

Something had definitely softened her. Maybe it was the ride. That whole experience is very intimate, especially for the passenger, given that you're putting your life in someone else's hands. I guess I impressed her.

 _Score one, Moon._

 _Dick… Zero._

We walked to the Julian Café where they boasted the best apple pie in the entire town. The two of us sat in a cozy corner table up against a brick wall. They served us generous slices of warm apples baked with cinnamon into a buttery crust with dollops of vanilla ice cream on top. They weren't kidding; it was the best I'd ever tasted. At least this day would include _something_ orgasmic.

Our conversation started out easy enough. We talked more about the shelter, her plans to convert her guest bedroom into an office, a new type of yoga she was trying. I hoped to God I'd get to reap the benefits of that someday. I told her about my brief visit back home and my plans to put a small shed on her property to store my garden equipment. Then, I sort of went and ruined the mood.

"So, where does Dick… uh… Gavin think you are today?"

"Meeting a friend."

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "Okay. Stretching the truth just a bit."

"Why is that so funny? Aren't we supposedly trying to be friends? That was your idea."

"I use the term friend very loosely. Sort of like—oh, I don't know—girlfriend."

"I'm not your girlfriend."

"No, you're my fucking wife."

"Austin…"

"Relax. I'm kidding." _Not really._ "Look, my point is, you can convince yourself that this is innocent for now, but I doubt Dick would want you spending time with a supposed friend whose ultimate goal is to steal you from him. Said friend also happens to have a key to your place when he doesn't. Don't think I didn't catch that. Make no mistake about it, Ally. Stealing you away from him is my ulterior motive in case I hadn't made that crystal clear. I'm your friend for now, but that's not enough for me. Never will be. I want you beneath me every night and across from me every morning at the breakfast table. Fuck that, I want _you_ for breakfast. I won't be satisfied until I own all of you." Pissed at myself for losing my composure on what was supposed to be a peaceful trip for pie, I pulled at my hair and looked down at my empty plate. My voice lowered. "I'm sorry. I just can't fucking pretend."

Taken aback, she was quiet but nodded in understanding. "It's okay."

After my awkward outburst, we needed a change of scenery. I got up out of my seat. "You want to take a walk around, see the sights, before we head back on the road?"

"I'd love to."

We went for a stroll and ended up stopping inside a small bookstore that also sold trinkets. Ally was eying this bracelet that had some Buddhist peace symbol on it. When she became immersed in a Deepak Chopra book, I took one of the bracelets to the register and bought it.

Once we stepped outside, I handed it to her. "Here. I wanted to get you something so that you remember your first trip by motorcycle. I hope it's not the last."

"As if I could ever forget this day," she said. "But that was really sweet of you. Thank you. I love it so much."

"I know. I saw you looking at it. I was looking at you, because I can't keep my eyes off you. So…" I put my hands in my pockets and looked around as my words trailed off.

She placed it on her tiny wrist. "Maybe this will help channel some much needed peace in my life."

As we stood there on the sidewalk, it really hit me that this situation was equally hard on her. I spent so much time immersed in my own fears that I had a tendency to forget what all of this might have been like for Ally. To have me come back practically from the dead just when she was getting her life in order. It turned her world upside down.

So tempted to hold her hand, I grinded my teeth and refrained. Instead, I said, "Hiking is big around here. If we had more time, we could have stayed at one of the cabins, made a weekend out of it. I know you have to get back."

"Maybe another time." She smiled.

"Yeah."

About an hour later, we were back on the open road. Something about the tone of the ride home was much different than the first trip. As the reddish sun was setting on the horizon, her grip on me had definitely relaxed a bit.

We were both quiet, and about halfway through, Ally rested her chin on my back. It was a small gesture but sent what felt like electricity through me. It meant everything. It was easy to envision us taking trips like this every weekend. There was nothing like the feeling of having your woman on the back of your bike.

When we pulled up to her bungalow, the sound of crickets replaced the roaring engine of the bike as I shut it off. We both sat there in silence. She wasn't getting off and hadn't let go of my waist, so I didn't move.

Finally, she spoke. Her voice was quiet. "I won't string you along forever, Austin. I promise. It's not fair. I have to figure this out."

I lifted her hands that were still wrapped around my waist and clutched them tightly around my chest. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, Ally"

She let out a deep breath and jumped off the bike while I stayed on. I could see Pixy in the window watching us. _Blind goat, my ass._

I tugged at the front of her leather jacket flirtatiously. "When will I see you again?"

"I'm not sure."

"Think about it."

"Thank you for today. I'll never forget it."

Her last comment didn't sit well in my stomach.

 _I'll never forget it._

"You did great, Princess. I can't wait to do this again."

On the ride home that night, I made a tough decision. I was going to lie low for a bit, give her some space. They say if you let something go and it doesn't come back to you, it was never really yours to begin with. But considering I was the one who initially left in this situation, all bets were off.


	8. Chapter 8

to the readers offended over the word "girly": so this is the second time that someone has considered this sexist which was totally not the way i wanted it to be interpreted. writing in a male's point of view, austin considers the "girly crap" that ally keeps in her bathroom things such as different shampoos, lotions and creams, perfumes, hair ties, make up etc. by saying this, it wasn't meant to be seen as "wow _girly_ crap? boys use lotions too! boys care about their skin too!" yes, i completely understand the argument that you are getting at and the fact that an object does not have the effect of "girly." it was supposed to be interpreted how _austin_ sees it, with his _own_ thoughts. notice how there's a difference reading from austin's pov to ally's pov.

also to those wondering (and complaining) that the story is moving along too fast: the story wasn't meant to be this long, it will be about 10 chapters and then an epilogue. i understand the whole "ally is forgiving him too fast. "ally is stringing him along while she's dating gavin which is unfair to austin." i understand all of your concerns but understand that this whole story as a whole does not happen one day to the next. i will try my best to update every day again, i am terribly sorry for not posting for a few days.

* * *

Two days later, I started to put up the new shed on Ally's property. It was going to be nice to be able to keep all of my lawn equipment in one place without having to transport it back and forth. I had to admit, Ally must have had the most beautiful garden in all of her neighborhood by now.

It was a particularly hot day, and it became necessary to cool off. Starting to feel dehydrated, I was thinking of calling it a day here.

Using my key, I entered the house for a drink and to use the toilet before leaving. Pixy was so used to hearing me come in now, he no longer even flinched when I walked inside.

I hadn't texted Ally at all since our road trip and had no idea where her head was at. It felt like forever since we'd spoken. My only clues would have been inside of this house, but snooping always made me feel like shit. Thankfully, there was no obvious evidence of Dick having been here in the past couple of days, so that was good. The house was Dickless, just the way I liked it.

Sweat was dripping off my body as the goat followed me around. I wondered if Ally would care if I took a quick shower in her bathroom. Seeing as though I made a vow not to contact her, texting her to check wasn't an option. I couldn't see why it would be a problem, though.

"You won't tell, will you, Mutton?"

"Baa."

"Good boy."

I stripped down and left my dirty clothes in a pile just outside the bathroom. Under the lukewarm water, my thoughts, of course, turned to her. Lathering her fruity soaps and shampoo over me was like bathing in a sea of Ally. Sweet, sweet torture. I gripped my cock and started to jerk myself off but stopped after thinking better of it. Even though the urge was intense, there was no way I was going to be able to finish myself off in her shower. With my luck, I'd accidentally leave a trace of spluge behind. _Wel-cum Home, Ally!_ She'd know it was me. That wasn't going to help my cause. Horny as hell, though, I'd definitely need to rub one off back at the motel.

As I exited the shower, the bathroom filled with steam. Wiping myself down, I looked in the mirror at my sculpted body and flexed my muscles.

 _Shit, I looked good._

With all of the time in the sun and my workouts, my body was truly in the best shape of my life. Sadly, I couldn't even use it on anyone at the moment.

Rubbing the towel vigorously over my wet hair, I walked back out into Ally's bedroom. A painting on the wall showing a woman with her breasts exposed caught my eye. It wasn't there the last time I was in here. Must have been new. _Holy shit._ It was classy but still not something I expected her to have.

As I stared up at it, I thought about all the things I never had an opportunity to learn about her. Ally was definitely a sexual being, and it made me sad that I never really had a chance to tap more into that side, to push boundaries with her and take her places sexually that she'd never been. All that we could have done in those two years.

Fuck. I was getting hard again. A bead of precum formed at the tip of my dick. I was really hard up.

My body shook at the sound of her voice.

She screamed, "Oh my God!"

I turned around exposing my fully hard cock in all of its glory. "Shit!" I quickly wrapped the towel around my waist to cover my privates. Not only had she seen my ass as she walked in but also got the full frontal experience when I'd turned around.

She sounded breathless. "What are you doing?"

"I.. uh… okay… so, I was really hot. I needed to cool down. I took a shower." I laughed nervously. "I didn't think you'd mind."

"I guess I don't mind, but Jesus, do you normally just stand there in the middle of the room stark naked staring at the wall?"

"I was staring at your lovely painting, actually." My eyes trailed down the length of her body. She was wearing her workout clothes, a purple sports bra that squished her beautiful tits together and tight spandex. Dressed like that, she clearly wasn't expecting me to be here this late in the afternoon. I normally didn't stay here so long, but since I'd been building the shed, I lost track of time. She never came home this early.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? This is my house."

"I know, but you're normally not home until after five sometime."

"I had a doctor's appointment, so I didn't go back to the office. I went to the gym instead and came home early to shower."

"I just missed you then. We could have done that together."

She rolled her eyes but cracked a tiny smile.

There was nothing hotter than the sight of Ally sweaty. My erection was impossible to control. So were my feelings. As I stood there still wrapped in the towel with my dick protruding through it, I slowly approached where she was standing. Her body stiffened and went into some sort of protective mode.

"I've missed you, Ally. You could probably tell I've been trying to give you space."

Her chest was heaving. "I know you have. Just not right now, apparently."

"That's right. Not right now."

Her eyes lowered to my abs and back up again. She wasn't just sneaking a look at me. She was blatantly checking me out. Her pupils even seemed to dilate.

Inching even closer to her, I couldn't help telling her how I felt. "You wanted to know why I was staring at the wall. You know what I was thinking about when you walked in?"

"What?"

"I was thinking about how you present yourself as this prim and proper girl but that secretly you're a little minx. That picture on the wall there proves it. You're sexual by nature, someone who will never be fully satisfied by vanilla things. You're someone who—whether you admit it or not—wants to try everything, push boundaries. I know if we were together, you'd let me do all the things I want to your body. And you'd fucking love it."

"What kind of things?" she whispered. Her question surprised me.

 _Good girl. Play along, baby._

"Let's talk about what I'd want to do right now if I could. I want to slowly lick every ounce of salty sweat off your body, starting with those beautiful tits. I'd clean you off with my tongue and fuck you hard until you come even harder with every drop of my cum inside of you where it belongs."

She looked like she was squirming. "What else?" she asked as she backed away from me, which only made me walk toward her until my face was only inches from hers.

"Then, I'd fuck you all over again with my mouth. I'd love to try eating you out while you take my cock down your throat. I think you'd like that. I want to have you in every way; on top of me, under me and over my knee with my hand marks in pink on your beautiful pale ass. I can't wait to fuck you again. When I say fuck, I really mean make love hard, because that's all it could ever be with us, loving hard and fucking hard."

"Oh God," she muttered, closing her eyes.

Capitalizing on her weakness, I pressed my hungry mouth into hers and shamelessly took what I'd been starving to taste for two years. She opened for me as my tongue invaded her mouth, searching for hers. The moan she let out seemed to travel down my throat in a straight shot to my dick. She ran her fingers through my wet hair as I backed her into the wall, nearly knocking her lamp off of the bedside table. Still in nothing but a towel, I knew I needed to pull back but didn't know how.

Finally, Ally pried herself away from me. "Please. Stop."

In between panting breaths, I shouted, "Can't you see how you react to me? Isn't it obvious that we belong together?"

She walked to the opposite side of the room and started to pace. "Relationships aren't all about sexual chemistry, Austin."

"Bullshit. It's extremely important. I don't care how nice of a Dick he is, if he doesn't know how to use his dick to please you, he won't keep you happy forever. That's beside the point anyway. You know damn well we have chemistry in every way. It's far more than physical. In fact, the emotional connection between us is what scares you the most. So, what's missing here? Trust? Because I'd give my left arm at this point to prove that you can trust me."

She held her hands up and shook her head. "This is too much right now. I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"When won't it be too much? Will it ever be the right time?" I yelled and immediately regretted having raised my voice.

Pixy let out a noise. Bugger was sitting in the corner watching this go down like a movie.

"You're scaring him," she said.

"If he hasn't fainted, he's fine."

She headed for the bathroom, and I trailed behind her.

"Stop running from me as soon as you start to feel something." I put my hands on her shoulders to stop her. "Look at me, Princess."

She turned around, appearing as if she was about to cry. "What?"

Here it was. I knew it was now or never. I shut my eyes then opened them before taking a deep breath. "I love you, Ally. Can't you see that? I am head over heels in fucking love with you. I love you more than anything in this entire world. When I look into your eyes, I don't just see you, I see my children. Hell, I see an entire farm of children and deaf, dumb and blind goats. I see my entire future. Without you, I see nothing. Nothing. Even those two years locked up, memories of you were what gave me the strength to go on every day. I know you have to resolve things with him, and I don't expect a confirmation right now with me standing here in this towel. I'll wait. In the meantime, I'm here. You have me. The question is, do you want to keep me, or will you throw me away?"

When she opened her mouth, what came out was the last thing I ever expected. "Gavin told me some time ago that the firm is dissolving and closing up shop by the end of the year. He was offered a position at a Boston patent law firm as a partner there. I just found this out yesterday. He wants to try to hire me. Either way, he asked me to go with him."

Adrenaline rushed through me as my body was gearing up for a fight. I swallowed the massive lump in my throat. "When does he leave?"

A teardrop fell down her cheek. "Two weeks."

* * *

I barely slept after the bomb Ally dropped last night. I knew I was starting to get to her, although she was still fighting it. Two weeks was not a lot of time to gain back her trust. But what choice did I have at this point?

 _Thirteen days_. I picked up my cell phone and stared at the time. The damn minutes seemed to tick away faster than they ever had. In prison, waiting for a day to pass seemed like an eternity. Yet now, it felt like the hands on the clock were spinning at warp speed.

I buzzed by Starbucks, picked up a coffee and paid for Ally's. I also ordered an apple fritter and gave Piper instructions to warm it for my girl before she gave it to her. I hoped it would subliminally remind her of our bike excursion for apple pie.

My brain was still frazzled, and I needed to work off the growing feeling of frustration, so I headed to the gym. It was noon by the time I finally made my muscles burn enough to think about something other than _thirteen days_.

Not knowing what else to do with myself, I headed to Ally's with a dozen more flats of flowers. It was busy work, and in only two weeks time, someone else could be appreciating the garden. But I couldn't let myself think about that now.

I was coming from the backyard with a wheelbarrow full of mulch when I saw Dick pull up outside of Ally's. He looked right at me, and I had no desire to hide anymore anyway.

Maybe the Princess Fucker wouldn't recognize me shirtless and sweaty. I continued down the driveway as he approached.

"Mr. Moon?" He squinted, clearly confused by my appearance.

"That's me. What can I do you for?"

"What are you doing here?"

I looked down at the wheelbarrow and back up at Dick with a face that said 'can't you figure that shit out yourself'?' "Planting flowers." I shrugged.

"I can see that. But why are you here planting flowers?"

"I guess that would be because Ally likes flowers." Something you obviously didn't know or give a shit about seeing as what the place looked like when I first arrived.

Dick folded his arms over his chest. "I thought you were going back home?"

My jaw clenched. I was torn between telling off the asshole for not taking care of Ally's property and punching him in the face for trying to take the woman I loved away. Just then, Ally's car turned the corner. No matter how bad I wanted to ruin things, I couldn't do it to her.

"Ohhh." I nodded my head as if something just dawned on me. "You must think I'm my brother, Austin."

"Excuse me?"

"Austin. He's the better looking brother for sure. But we're identical twins. I'm Harry." I extended my hand.

He was skeptical for a moment, but the dumb bloke fell for my line of shit easy enough. My hand was hot, sweaty and dirty. The suit wearing snob looked like he wanted to find somewhere to wipe off his hand after we shook. _Not used to man hands, are you, Dick?_

"Well that explains it then. Your brother was a client of Ally's. I met him in the office."

"Yes. I referred him to Ally. There's no one else that the Moon brothers would allow to touch their tockley. Except Ally."

"Pardon?"

"Tockley—it's a term for important paperwork."

He nodded and looked over at the curb as Ally parked.

 _Dumb fuck. Suck my tockley._

Now that I wasn't supposed to know who he was, I could screw with the guy a bit. "So what do you think of the place? Coming along really well, don't you think? Place was a real mess when I got here. I'm surprised Ally doesn't have a man around the house to take care of things properly."

Dick cleared his throat. "She does. Just not one who has the time or inclination to do this sort of work."

"That's a shame. Ally could use a man that takes care of all her needs."

Dick narrowed his eyes at me, as Ally rushed from her car. She looked pale and frazzled.

"You didn't tell me, Mr. Moon's brother was your landscaper?" Dick said to Ally.

"Brother?" Ally looked to me and I grinned.

"I thought Harry here was Austin when I pulled up." Then the idiot added, "Now I can see the difference, of course. Twins always look different around the eyes."

"Harry?" Ally's panicked face cracked a tiny smile.

Dick spoke to her. "I was just about to tell Harry that his services are no longer going to be needed. Seeing as we'll be heading to Boston soon enough."

Ally spoke quietly. "That's not decided yet."

"I told you. It's just a formality. I've already spoken to the partners. They want you." Dick put his hand on the small of Ally's back. I was barely able to stop myself from physically removing it.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Moon." He didn't bother to look at me. "We better grab that file, sweetheart. Or we'll be late for the deposition."

Ally nodded. She looked back over her shoulder twice before disappearing into the house. A few minutes later, they came out together again. Dick nodded at me, and Ally looked down as they passed. I had started to dig a hole to put flowers in when they went inside, but I'd forgotten to stop. I now had a waist deep crater. I couldn't look over at the curb as they got into their cars. My restraint was hanging on by a thread.

One car pulled away. Not hearing the second start, eventually I looked out to the street. Dick was gone, but Ally was still sitting in her car. Her head was leaning against the steering wheel. I walked over and got into the passenger seat.

Neither of us said a word for a minute. "What am I supposed to do?" She eventually whispered.

I blew out a heavy stream of air. "Do what's in your heart, Ally. If that's not being with me—it will suck—I'm not going to lie. But I want you to be happy. That's how I'm sure I'm in love with you. If the choice is you being happy or me… there is no choice. You come first."

She shook her head. "I believe you, you know."

I took her hand from the steering wheel and lifted it to my lips, kissing the top. "You should. Because I mean it. There's nothing I won't do for you, Princess."

She smiled. It was a step in the right direction. _She believed me_.

"I better go. We have a deposition in fifteen minutes across town, and I've been so preoccupied, I didn't even realize that the file was at home."

I opened the car door. If we had more time, I would have preferred to leave things for today. But, thirteen days. I had to ask. "Come home with me this weekend?"

"Austin…"

"I know. But I don't have the luxury of time anymore. You have a decision to make. And Dick gets you all the time. I want to take you home with me. Show you what our life can be like. No crazy road trips. No interruptions. Just me and you. Give me a fair shot if you're making this choice."

"I told you. I can't be with you like that. Gavin is a good man. It wouldn't be fair to cheat on him. Our kiss the other night was bad enough."

"Bad? I thought it was pretty fucking phenomenal."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"Fine. I won't touch you. Sexually, I mean. I won't."

She looked at me like she didn't believe my intentions were genuine.

"Trust me. You have my word. I will not lay a finger on you in a sexual way." It looked like she was considering it. I probably should have just kept my mouth shut. But, I wouldn't be me if I did. "And when you make a move on me, I'll refute it."

Her eyebrows jumped. "When?"

"That's right. When."

"Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you, Asshole?"

She had no idea how much hearing her call me Asshole, did for me. "I am. Sounds like the only one that can't control themselves is you."

"I can absolutely control myself around you."

I leaned in. "Then come with me. Give me a weekend before you decide. Please."

She looked torn. "Let me think about it."

That was better than a no. "Alright."

"I really better go now."

I exited the car and stood next to it as she started the engine. Right before pulling away, she rolled down the window. "Nice name, by the way." Then, she disappeared.

* * *

It was the end of the second day since I'd spoken to Ally on her front lawn, and I still hadn't heard from her. _Eleven days_. Time was ticking, and there wasn't shit I could do about it.

Except get drunk.

It was a distinct possibility that I might have drank more sitting at that little bar across the street from the motel, than I had in the last five years of my life.

"Cass. Hit me up again."

"Don't you think you've had enough, hot stuff?"

My brain was still working. "Nope. Not even close." I held up the glass and clanked the ice around.

She took it, filled it with what I suspected from the color was pure club soda, and then proceeded to come around the other side of the bar and sit next to me. It was nearly closing time, and I had been sitting on that stool for close to six hours. We were the only two left in the bar.

Cassidy waited until I looked her straight in the eyes before she spoke. "She's an idiot. You're a great guy. I don't even have to know Dick in order to be certain she's making a big mistake. And it's not just because you're hot as fuck and have a body I'm pretty sure matches that perfect face. It's because you're committed."

I scoffed. "I should be committed, alright."

"I mean it, Austin. If a guy put in half the effort you do, I'd be impressed. You're willing to lay it all out there day after day, even knowing that she could very well stomp on your heart."

"Thanks, Cassidy."

"No problem. But it's the truth. Plus… I've watched a dozen women try to pick you up in this place, and you never once even gave it any real thought. Considering you haven't been laid in over two years, that's a feat unto itself."

"Eleven days. I suppose I might have to figure out how to get back in the saddle after all if things don't pan out."

"I tell you what. Closing time in eleven days. Things don't work out. You meet me right here. I'd be honored to help you out with that. No talking. No strings. We'll just walk across to your room, and I'll let you ride all your frustrations away, lover boy."

"You'd do that for me, Cassidy?"

" _For you?_ I've thought about doing that to you, since the day you walked in the door." She gave me a quick kiss on the lips and sent me packing.

* * *

The next morning, I overslept and had to rush to Starbucks. It was almost nine when I got there, and the line was longer than usual. I hadn't yet checked my phone, so I powered it on as I waited for my turn to order. The damn thing started to buzz in my hand.

I got excited when I saw a new text arrived.

 **Ally: OK. Friday 6pm. I'm yours for the weekend.**

I let out a deep breath. It felt like I'd been holding it for days. Piper called my name as I continued to stare down at my phone.

"Two coffees?"

I couldn't stop smiling. "You bet."

"And what will Ally be having for breakfast this morning?"

I leaned back and looked in the case. "I'll take two of those chocolate chip muffins, an iced lemon pound cake, three of those salted caramel pecan squares, an oatmeal cookie and one of those fancy yogurt parfaits you have there."

Piper looked at me like I was nuts. At that point, I pretty much had lost my mind, so she wasn't too far off. "You want those all in a box? They're all for Ally?"

"Yep." I paid and glanced at the time on my phone. She usually didn't come by until half past nine. "Pipes, hold my coffee. I'll be right back. Okay?"

I hauled ass to the florist I'd been eyeing a few doors down and came back with a gigantic bouquet; it was bordering on ridiculous. But I didn't care. Ally was going to be mine for a weekend. This was cause for celebration.

Piper smiled at me so big, I could see her full mouth of teeth—top and bottom. "Can you give her these with breakfast today?"

"Of course."

I parked my truck around the corner and stood in the doorway a few stores down from Starbucks. If I wasn't on such a high, this new stalking technique might have felt a little creepy. Right at nine-thirty, Ally walked out of Starbucks with a box and the giant flowers. She was sporting the hugest smile.

I stood there for another ten minutes. Eventually, another text came.

 **Ally: Was I especially hungry this morning?**

 **Austin: Sorry. I got carried away. We're celebrating.**

 **Ally: What are we celebrating?**

 **Austin: You. Coming home with me this weekend.**

My phone went quiet. A few minutes later, it buzzed again.

 **Ally: I'm nervous. I'm not sure it's a good idea.**

So am I, but I wasn't about to admit that. The consequences of blowing this were too much to even consider.

 **Austin: Trust me. Please.**

A few minutes later, a final text came in.

 **Ally: OK**


	9. Chapter 9

I arrived at her place Friday at six, ready for our weekend. I knocked, and she came to the door looking almost exactly like a recurring fantasy I'd had of her over the last two years. She was wearing a tight white tank top, tiny white shorts and had on a pair of silver sandals. It was a particularly humid day, and her hair was down and wilder than usual. _Trust me?_ That was the promise I'd made to her. _Fuuuck._

"What's wrong?" She noticed the worry on my face. "Are we taking the motorcycle after all? Do I need to change?"

"No. Yes. No."

Her brows drew down, so I explained. "No. We're not taking the motorcycle. Yes, you need to change."

She looked down at her outfit. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Absolutely nothing. It's perfect."

"But—"

I raked my fingers through my hair. "Except that I had this recurring fantasy of you wearing all white."

She smiled. "That's sweet. Like I was an angel?"

My mouth spread into a wicked grin. "Not exactly."

Her cheeks blushed. "Oh."

I chuckled. "You don't have to change. But you should know, if I'm quiet on the ride to my place, it's because I'm replaying that fantasy over and over in my mind." I winked.

There was a red suitcase next to the door, so I grabbed it.

"I just need to get my purse."

Mutton was rubbing at my leg, wanting attention. "And Mutton's leash. I don't have a big yard like you. We'll have to walk him."

Ally turned around. "You want to bring Pixy?"

"Of course. We're a family."

It was like the damn goat understood what we were talking about. He nuzzled into my hands and let out a soft "Baaaa."

"That's right, buddy. It's just going to be me and you and Mommy." I scratched the top of his head. "You like that, don't you."

"All set." Ally returned with her purse and the leash. "I just need to stop at Kira's and tell her she doesn't need to take care of Pixy."

"Kira's?"

"My neighbor. She takes care of Pixy when I work late sometimes. When I went over to ask her to take care of him yesterday, she raved about my gardens. She said she would love to steal you from me. Then she went on a tirade about the mailman delivering her four Magic Bullets that she didn't order and insisted I take one home with me." Ally pointed to an unopened box on the counter. "She's a bit on the odd side but very nice."

"Magic Bullet? Is that like your magic wand? You still playing with that?"

"No! It's a blender… for smoothies."

It was normally a two-hour drive to go home, but the rush hour traffic made it almost double that. I didn't give a shit, though. The sun was shining, I was free, and my girl was coming to my place for the weekend. Since I couldn't do what I really wanted to do with her, I decided to show Ally what a normal weekend with us together would be like. We both knew we had chemistry, but something told me one of the things holding her back, aside from trust, was she wasn't convinced we had _more_ than chemistry.

Didi was still at my place when we arrived. She pretended to have been running late, but I knew she really wanted to meet Ally.

"Sorry. I was hoping to be at Dallas's by the time you got home. I was just cleaning up a bit."

Ally looked at me in disbelief. "Dallas?"

"I shit you not. First day out, I come home and find some bloke in his boxers ironing at my kitchen counter. He tells me his name is Dallas."

Ally and I both laughed. Didi didn't get the joke, but was smiling from ear to ear anyway. She extended her hand. "I'm so glad to meet you, Ally. I've heard so much about you."

Ally and Didi stared at each other for a long moment. I had no idea what was going on, but something strange seemed to be taking place. Then the two practically collided, wrapping each other in their arms for a hug. It was like they were long lost best friends. They didn't let go for the longest time.

Watching it, I became a bit choked up. Both women had tears in their eyes when they separated. I heard Didi whisper, "We both lost a lot. I'm finding my way back. I hope you do, too."

I cleared my throat and hugged Didi goodbye a few minutes later. She was carrying an overnight bag to spend the weekend at Dallas's. "I stocked the cabinets with your essentials."

"Pixy sticks?"

"Of course. And I got this guy here some treats, too." She gave Pixy a good rub before leaving.

When it was just the two of us, I gave Ally a tour. My place was an old converted warehouse. It had high ceilings and a wide open floor plan. There were three bedrooms, but I'd converted one into an art studio. Didi was using the other one since she came to stay with me and now that Dez had been staying with his girlfriend there was more space for the both of us. When I told her Ally would be staying in the guest room, she sounded like she didn't believe me but prepped it for a guest nonetheless.

I stopped at my bedroom first. "This is our bedroom."

"Austin—"

"I know. Not tonight. But if we decide to live down here near the beach, this will be our room." The fucked up thing was, I already thought of it as our bedroom.

"It's very nice. Is that a Klimt painting?"

I smiled. _Love my dirty girl_. "It is. It's the Three Ages of Women. See, we have a lot in common. We both like women's breasts in paintings. Although when we're in here, I won't notice anything but those babies." My eyes pointed to her great rack.

"You're a perv."

"And you love it."

I gave her the rest of the tour, regretfully dropping her bag in the guest room. The last room on the tour was my art studio. I hadn't made anything in a long, long time. There were canvas drop cloths covering most projects I was working on before my life became a clusterfuck. I flicked on the light and meant to pass the room right by, but Ally wandered inside.

"Did you make that?" She pointed to a large motorcycle made of recycled parts. It had been in a few art shows, but now there was an inch of dust covering it.

"I did."

"Wow. It's… incredible." She walked around, inspecting it carefully. "Everything on here is junk?"

"I don't use any purchased materials. Only recycled objects that I find."

"You're really good. I'm not sure what I expected. But this seems to tell a story." I smiled. Of course, she totally got it. I always felt every individual piece that I collected could tell a different tale. The way they all blended together was sort of like reading a book to me. I walked around to the other side of the bike and pointed to a few different things, telling her where each piece had come from.

If it were possible, I fell just a little more for her right then.

That night, we ordered in Chinese food and ate straight from the cartons. Ally fell asleep with her head on my lap as we watched a movie. Keeping to my word, I covered her with a blanket and went to my own bed to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, she was still sleeping when I slipped out to take Pixy for a walk. But she was awake when I walked in carrying two coffees and an assortment of overpriced crap from Starbucks.

"Morning."

She sat up on the couch and stretched her arms over her head. Her shirt pulled up, exposing her beautiful soft skin. I wanted to fucking bite it. I had to turn the other way.

"You get some strange ass looks when you walk a goat."

Ally chuckled. "Yeah. I know." She came into the kitchen and sat on a stool on the other side of the island.

"Let me ask you something. This promise I stupidly made. It only includes touching. I can say whatever I want, right?"

She sipped her coffee. "I'm afraid to say yes. But… yes. I suppose words aren't off limits."

"Good. Because I gotta tell you. Your tits saluting me are better than seeing the sunrise in the morning."

She shook her head. "You have a wicked tongue, Mr. Moon."

"Oh, if only I could show you, Mrs. Dawson Moon."

"Mrs. Dawson Moon, huh?"

"Well, you are my wife. I figured you'd want to keep your name, too. Seeing as how you're a working woman and all."

"You make me sound like a hooker."

"Prostitute… lawyer." I grinned. "Same thing."

"Very nice. And to think… I was going to give up the Dawson name and take my husband's. Now I'm not so sure."

"Oh yeah? I would have taken you for a hyphenator."

She slid the bag on the counter over to her and dug inside. "Nah. Not me. I plan to give everything to my husband."

"I'm glad to hear that Mrs. Moon. Because I plan to take everything. On a daily basis."

* * *

I wanted to show her the area. Now that her firm was closing up, maybe we would live in Hermosa Beach. Being near the water was important to me. Although, I'd live in the desert if it meant getting to be with Ally. After lunch, we walked down to the boardwalk. It was a gorgeous day, and she didn't pull away when I took her hand in mine.

"How about a swim?" I was glad I told her to put on a suit when we left this morning. It was hot as hell.

"Okay."

We walked down to the water's edge, and I pulled my shirt off. Following my lead, she slipped out of hers, and my eyes almost bulged from my head. _Fuck. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all._ She had on a little red string bikini top, and her fantastic tits looked like they longed to spill out. When she shimmied out of her shorts, I was blatantly leering at her and didn't give a damn. If I couldn't touch, I most certainly was going to get my visual fill. "I almost feel bad for you."

"Me? Why?"

"Because when you finally let me have you." I raked my eyes up and down her luscious body. "I'm going to be like a savage making up for lost time."

I needed to cool off, and Ally was coming with me. Surprising her, I bent and lifted, tossing her over my shoulder fireman style before running for the water. She screamed and kicked the entire time, but I could tell from her tone that she was smiling. I smacked her ass hard before launching us both into the water.

Together we swam and walked along the beach until the sun set. I never wanted the day to end.

"We should get back," she said. "Pixy probably needs to go out."

"Kids. They're always ruining a good time," I joked.

On the walk back, our conversation took a serious turn. "Do you want kids?"

I answered honestly, "I never really thought about it. Until I met you. But now. I want nothing more than for you to bear my spawn."

She laughed. "How many do you want?"

"Six," I answered quickly.

"Six?" She stopped in her tracks.

"I have no idea why. But the thought of you pregnant does something to me. I'm getting turned on now just thinking about it."

"You really need help. I think you might be a sex addict."

"I'd be the first sex addict that hasn't gotten laid in a few years."

She looked at me with sincerity. "Sorry. That must be hard."

"When I look at you in that bathing suit. It sure is."

"Do you… you know."

"What?"

"You know."

"I don't." I certainly did.

"You know. Take care of yourself."

"You mean like shower and get haircuts. Yes. I take care of myself. I even exercise."

She laughed. "You want me to say it, don't you?"

"You'd totally make my day, Princess."

We arrived on my block. I was holding her left hand, but she turned and walked backwards, taking both of mine into hers. She cocked her head to the side when she spoke. "Do you masturbate, Austin?"

 _Fuck yeah._ I loved hearing her even say the word. "I do. Frequently, in fact, lately. All I have to do is smell you, and my cock strains. I'd be walking around with a nasty case of blue balls if I didn't."

"I'm sorry."

I pulled her closer to me. "You wanna know something else?"

She bit her lip, but nodded.

"It will all be worth it when I'm back inside of you, Princess."

* * *

We went into the house, and I offered Ally the shower first. After our day on the beach, I had sand in places there shouldn't be. While she was in the shower, I cranked up the music, put two Coronas in the freezer to chill, and might have danced with a goat.

I heard the faint sound of Ally's voice in between verses. "Austin?"

The full bath was in the master bedroom. I answered through the cracked door, "Everything okay?"

"I forgot to grab a towel. Are there any in here?"

The shower water was still running. "No. They're in the closet out here. I'll grab you one."

Without thinking, I opened the door. The shower had glass sliders. They were foggy with steam, but I could still see her sexy silhouette. Her back was facing me, giving me a fan-fucking-tastic view of her succulent ass. I couldn't move. My restraint was rapidly slipping through my fingers.

When she turned around and caught me staring, she didn't make an effort to cover up. Instead, she reached up and began to wash her breasts.

 _Fucking incredible._

I took a step toward the shower but stopped myself from going further. With the door behind me open and the cool air blowing in, the fog was getting heavier on the shower doors.

"Princess—" The word came out a cross between a groan and a plea. "I vowed not to touch you."

I could barely hear her whispered words over the rain of the shower. "I know. I thought maybe… you'd like it if… I…" She paused. My girl's walls were crumbling. _She_ was pushing the boundaries. And it was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen in my life. She said the last sentence louder and with more conviction. "I thought maybe you'd like to watch me touch myself."

There she is. My beautiful, sweet dirty girl.

"Oh baby. I could go blind after watching you and never feel like I'd missed seeing anything. Will you let me help? I'll tell you what I want you to do to yourself, and you can do it for me. That way we'll be doing it together. Is that okay?"

She nodded.

"That's good, baby. So fucking good. Would you like it if I stroked myself while I watched you?"

"Yes."

I dropped my shorts and stood before her. Even if I wasn't already fully erect, I would have been after seeing the way she was looking at me. Her eyes were glued to my cock. I watched them follow my hand as I leisurely stroked up and down.

"This is what you do to me. Every day. I dream about being deep inside of you. In your heart and in your body. I want to suck on those beautiful nipples you're touching. Tug them between my teeth until sweet pain shoots through every nerve in your gorgeous body." Ally's head lulled back a bit as she started to relax into my voice and her own touch. Her hands that were gently swirling around her nipples slowed, and I watched her pinch. "Harder. Pinch harder." She did, and her lips parted as she felt it travel south.

"Spread your legs a bit." Without hesitation, she did as I asked. "I want to spread you out on my bed and lick every inch of you until you can barely breathe. Then I want to hear you beg for my cock. Will you do that, Ally? Will you beg for me?"

"I will. I'll beg for it."

"Do it. Do it now. Tell me that you want my cock, and I'll let you put your fingers inside yourself."

Her hand started to travel painstakingly slowly down her body. I had to strain to hear her voice. "I dream about you being inside of me again. The way you bury yourself like you can't get deep enough. Please. I miss you being inside of me." Her voice was uneven, and her hand trembled as it hovered over her sweet pussy.

"Rub your fingers along your clit. But don't put them inside yet. I'll tell you when."

Her body was sun kissed from the beach today, and her cheeks were pink from arousal. The image before me was better than anything I could possibly have imagined. I fisted my cock harder and faster. It was getting difficult to speak.

I took two steps closer to the shower door. It took every ounce of willpower not to open it. But I needed to at least be closer to hear the jagged edge to her breath. "Please, Austin."

It made me wild to know she was willing to beg for me. That she wanted me inside of her as much as I longed to sink into her. "Slip two fingers inside. Keep your eyes closed and pretend it's me. Feel my cock inside of you."

When her fingers disappeared, I couldn't hold back any longer. It took less than two minutes—she was pumping in and out as fast as I was tugging at my cock. Her mouth parted, and I knew she was beginning. "Austin…"

"Come baby. Together." It was the most spectacular sight in the world as she became undone right before my eyes. The sound of her moaning my name as she brought herself to her own climax was purely erotic.

It took a while after we both finished to regain control of our panting breaths. Eventually, Ally's body went slack, and she leaned against the tiled wall of the shower. She didn't open her eyes as I reached in and turned off the water. I scooped her into my arms and carried her to my bed. Climbing in behind her, I slipped under the sheet, careful not to press myself against her. That would be breaking the rules. And oddly, I was sated for now.

Not fifteen minutes later, she mumbled the words 'I'm sorry' right before I heard the light sound of her sleep.

I fell asleep not long after that, feeling relief and content with the woman I loved sleeping next to me in our bed.

Unfortunately, the feeling was gone the next morning when I woke up, and it wouldn't take me long to figure out why.

Talk about going from your highest high to your lowest low. For the first time, I realized exactly how Ally might have felt the moment she woke up and found that I'd abandoned her at the hotel in Vegas.

 _She was gone._

So was Pixy.

The morning sun streamed into the loft. My heart raced as a piece of white paper on the kitchen counter caught my eye. Unfolding it, I rubbed my groggy eyes in order to read each and every word clearly.

 _Austin,_

 _Yesterday was beyond amazing. But I got carried away last night. It proved once again that I don't have any willpower against my attraction to you. As long as I'm with Gavin, my giving in like that is not fair to him. I didn't want to risk things going any further if I stayed another day. I'm pretty sure I can't resist you physically anymore. I'm sorry. I know I promised you the whole weekend. I'm just trying to do the right thing._

Crumbling the letter and throwing it across the room, I yelled, "Fuck." My voice echoed into the empty kitchen. So, that was it? Yesterday was my final chance to make any kind of a lasting impression on her before she made a decision, and the last thing I did was jerk myself off before we passed out. After everything, that was how it was going to end? _Well played, Moon._ How the hell did she even get transportation that fast back to Temecula with a goat? She must have researched an exit plan prior to agreeing to the trip. Ally probably had a car company on standby. "Austin took out his dick, so you can come pick me up now!"

Feeling hopeless, I leaned my elbows against the counter and rubbed my temples. I debated whether to call her and decided against it for the time being. It was the first time since reentering her life that I had no strategy. I honestly didn't know what to do from here.

A couple of hours later, Didi came by after I'd called to let her know that Ally left.

Pacing across the loft, I ran my hands through my hair. "I'm thinking of going back to Temecula tonight."

"Don't."

"Don't?"

"Don't." She put her hands on my arms to stop me from pacing. "Look, I really like her. I hope that it works out, but you've done everything you possibly can to show her how you feel. It's time to step back and give her the space she needs to hopefully come to the right conclusion—that you're the one. I could see in her eyes how much she still cares about you. She was crying, for Christ's sake. The only thing holding her back is fear of getting hurt."

"What if she lets fear win and ends up with dickwad?"

"Then, you have to move on."

Could I move on? I couldn't fathom wanting anyone in the same way or as badly ever again in my lifetime. But if she chose him, I knew I would have to get on with my life eventually, date other women and finally end my two year celibacy.

I dunked one of the chocolate-covered wafers into my glass and took a bite as I spoke with my mouth full. "How the fuck am I gonna stay here wasting away in Hermosa Beach, knowing that I may never see her again if she decides to move away with him? He's leaving in just a matter of days."

Didi looked confused. "How fast could she possibly move to Boston? Wouldn't she have to sell her house, get rid of all her shit?"

"She rents the house and mentioned that most of the furniture was there when she moved in. The biggest problem is going to be transporting our goat."

"You realize you said _our_ goat, right? As in your goat, too?"

"Fuck. I meant her goat."

Didi smiled sympathetically. "No, you didn't."

"You're right. I didn't."

Later that evening after Didi returned to Dallas's, anger started to override all other emotions. I sent a text to Ally.

 **Austin: The chase is over. I'm giving you the space you want. If you need me, you know where to find me.**

She sent a simple response.

 **Ally: Thank you.**


	10. Chapter 10

last chapter of this story and then comes the epilogue! thank you all for reading, it means a lot. i'm glad you all seemed to enjoy it!

* * *

I was pretty damn proud of myself the first few days of that following week. I didn't call or text Ally and kept occupied at home in Hermosa Beach, working on a new junk art project and taking care of some long neglected repairs around the house. Even though I was keeping busy, deep down, I was miserable.

It was hard not to contact her, but I'd been taking my Didi's advice, keeping my distance in the hopes that Ally would make the right decision on her own.

As the end of the week neared, I was starting to grow impatient. One night, while trying unsuccessfully to distract myself with an episode of Top Gear, I impulsively broke my vow and texted her.

 **Austin: You there?**

 **Ally: I'm here.**

 **Austin: Hi**

 **Ally: Sorry I haven't been in touch.**

 **Austin: It's fine. I've been intentionally staying away so you can sort your head out.**

 **Ally: Are you back?**

 **Austin: No. There's nothing for me there besides you, and I'm giving you space. My home is here. Although, now that you've been here, it doesn't seem whole anymore without you.**

 **Ally: I'm sorry that you regret taking me home.**

 **Austin: The only thing I regret is not bursting through that shower door, Princess.**

She didn't immediately respond. A few minutes later, my phone vibrated.

 **Ally: Thank you for not doing that.**

 **Austin: You would still be here if I had.**

 **Ally: Is that right?**

 **Austin: You might have trouble walking, but you'd still be here.**

 **Ally: I see.**

She never texted back, so I typed again.

 **Austin: Are you okay?**

 **Ally: Yes. I can't text much more. I promise to call you this weekend.**

 **Austin: Is he there with you?**

 **Ally: Yes**

Jealousy hit me like a ton of bricks. There was that voice again that sounded awfully like Mom. " _Get off your hiney and get your woman!_ " Suddenly, it just clicked. What was keeping me here? Pride? Fuck pride. She was all that mattered. Getting her back was more important.

I was not okay. This was not okay. I knew in my heart that she loved me. I could see it in her eyes. She was just scared of getting hurt again. Sitting back like this was only giving him the upper hand. If I was going to let her go, it sure as hell wasn't going to be without a fight. I needed to be near her.

Change of plans.

Grabbing my keys, I got into my truck and hit the highway toward Temecula. The road was barren, so I was going about eighty-five miles per hour.

The plan was to spend the night at the motel and be ready bright and early for whatever the day held. I wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring. I just knew that I was going to be there with her till the end, regardless of how it turned out.

I'm in for the fucking long haul, Princess.

I turned the radio onto an instrumental channel for the entire ride. My nerves couldn't seem to handle anything else.

It was late by the time I finally got to the motel. By some miracle, I fell asleep. I wanted to be parked at Jefferson bright and early in the morning to get her breakfast. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

* * *

The next day started out normally. The hustle and bustle outside of Ally's office building was just like usual. When I walked into Starbucks to place her breakfast order, it became abundantly clear that this was no ordinary morning.

"G'day, Piper."

"Austin. I thought you left town."

"I'm back."

"I'm surprised."

"Why do you say that?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Ally's last day was yesterday. She came in to say goodbye to us."

 _What?_

"She's not here anymore?"

"No. I'm sorry. I thought you guys were friends now. So, I figured you knew she quit her job."

"Friends. Yeah. We are. She must have neglected to mention that little piece of information, though. Did she say where she was going?"

"She just said she quit and wouldn't be seeing us every morning anymore."

Scratching my chin, I stared into space trying to absorb that news.

Piper interrupted my thought process. "Can I get you anything?"

Without even paying attention, I said, "Sure. A nonfat three-pump vanilla latte, low foam and extra hot."

"You're getting Ally's drink?"

"Uh… yeah." I hadn't even realized that I'd ordered it. "Why not?" I shrugged. "For old time's sake."

As I sat at the corner table, swirling the foamy milk around in my cup, I tried to convince myself that her leaving the job and not telling me didn't necessarily mean that she'd chosen to move to Boston with Dick. I could have texted her, but a part of me wasn't ready for the answer. Maybe she only decided to quit, seeing as though the firm was shutting down anyway. Either way, this would likely be my last hurrah at the Starbucks that served as the backdrop for my time here with Ally. I wouldn't be spending any more mornings stalking her on Jefferson if she didn't work here anymore. I emptied my wallet of the cash inside and stuffed over a hundred dollars in the tip jar.

"Thank you, guys. Appreciate your help all these weeks."

Piper's eyes widened. "Wow, thank you. You won't be back?"

"Afraid not."

* * *

When I pulled up to Ally's house, a white and blue sign on the front lawn was the first thing that caught my eye. My heart started to pound furiously.

What in the hell?

As I got out close enough to read it, I saw that it said, _For Rent._ My heart seemed to fall to my stomach. Taking my key out, I rushed to the front door and opened it. Mutton's water bowl was still in the kitchen, but it was empty. No sign of the goat anywhere. All of the furniture was still in place, but it seemed all of Ally's personal belongings were gone.

I was practically flying through the house. A sweep of her bedroom also confirmed the worst. Every last item of clothing in her closet was also gone. Sitting on her bed and looking around the room, reality was starting to sink in. Adrenaline pumped through me.

 _Calm down, Austin._

In a daze, I returned outside into the blinding sun. I opened the shed and started packing my lawn equipment into the back of the truck. That was when I heard a whistle.

Turning around, I realized it was Ally's nutty neighbor, Kira. She'd run outside to meet the UPS guy and was carrying a brown box.

She sauntered over to me, dragging her slippers on the pavement. She had rollers in her hair, and her lips were sloppily outlined with bright pink pencil but no lipstick. "Hey, hot stuff."

Trying to act friendly despite my rotten mood, I said, "Nice to see you again, Kira. What do you have there in the box?"

"Who knows? I order stuff in my sleep and don't even remember." She snorted.

"Ah, that's right. The four Magic Bullets. You gave Ally one."

"You want one? I'll trade you for a ride on your mower."

"That's alright. I'm retired from the lawn care business as of today."

"You mean now that she's gone?"

My eyes darted toward hers. "You know where she went?"

"I didn't have a chance to talk to her, saw her leaving with the boyfriend yesterday. She was inside packing. I asked him what was going on, and he said she was moving to Boston with him. Next thing I knew, there was a sign up out front this morning."

My ears felt like they were burning. "Really…"

"Yeah."

I couldn't remember what I said to Kira after that. I didn't even have a recollection of the ride back to the motel. I would have expected to feel angry or confused, but everything was just numb.

Holding my phone in my hands as I sat on the bed, I wanted to text her, but the more I thought about it, the less it seemed like a good idea. If she really were moving to Boston, she didn't even bother to tell me that she'd made her decision. Was she there already? Was she even going to call me this weekend like she'd promised? Suddenly, the numbness was wearing off, replaced by pure rage.

Grabbing my wallet, I walked across the way to the bar. I didn't want to feel the emotions of losing her. I didn't want to feel anything tonight.

The words rolled off my tongue bitterly. "Hit me up, Cassidy."

Cassidy looked absolutely shocked to see me sitting in my usual spot. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again, blondie."

"Well, I came to say goodbye. I'm leaving to head home tomorrow, and I'm not coming back."

She poured my drink faster than ever, sensing I needed it badly. "What happened?"

I took a swig and slammed the glass down on the bar. "It's over."

"That's it? Over? Ally stayed with Dick?"

It pleased me that she'd also adopted my nickname for him.

"Yes. I went to her house today, and everything was cleaned out. There was a sign out front advertising the place for rent. The dickhead told the neighbor Ally was going to Boston with him."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"End of story."

"So, she didn't even have the decency to tell you herself?"

"The decency or the guts, not sure which."

"How did you leave things with her?"

"I'd gone back to Hermosa Beach for a while. She thinks I'm still there. She was supposed to call me this weekend. I decided to come back anyway and check on things. Now, I know what she was planning to tell me when she called."

"I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault."

"I was really hoping things would work out for you. You deserved to have a happy ending."

"Can we not talk about this anymore? About her?" I swallowed as if it were painful.

"Okay. Whatever you want."

Cassidy quietly placed drink after drink in front of me. She knew that I was in no mood to talk, so she let me be. At one point, she cut me off, refusing to serve me anymore. I lay my head on the counter as she wiped down the tables. The bar was getting ready to close. I had no concept of what time it even was. The sound of the television and a few patrons talking was muffled.

She tapped me on the shoulder. "Come on, big guy. I'll drive you across the street."

I got into Cassidy's red Prius and rested my head back on the seat with my eyes closed. I was still a little drunk but starting to sober up. I would have probably had to drink myself to death to get to the level of inebriation necessary to forget this day. So, in a sense, I was pissed at Cassidy for refusing to serve me more alcohol but grateful to her for looking out for me.

She walked me to my room and quietly followed me inside. Lying back on my bed, I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. When I opened them, Cassidy had disappeared. The water was running, and I realized she was in the bathroom.

I closed my eyes again. This time, when I opened them, Cassidy was standing by my bed. She'd taken down her hair, which was usually up in a retro style. She'd washed off the heavy red lipstick she wore. Most notable was the fact that she'd taken off all of her clothes except for her red lace bra and matching underwear. Her breasts were spilling out of the material, and the panties barely covered her curvy bottom.

My voice sounded sleepy. "What are you doing?"

"Remember what we talked about? The offer still stands. Let me make you forget everything. No strings, Austin. Just you and me and a really good fuck."

My dick twitched, my body unable to control the natural reaction to that proposition.

"Cass, you don't have to."

"I want to. God, Austin, I want to so badly. You have no idea what you do to me."

 _Shit._

Before I could form words, she began to straddle me over my jeans, grinding against my half-stiff cock. "I think you're ready for me," she muttered over my lips.

She kissed me, and I reluctantly returned it, unsure of whether to accept her offer or push her off of me.

"Do you have a condom?" she whispered.

"No."

"It's okay. You don't have to worry. I'm on the pill, and I'm clean."

Cassidy lifted my shirt over my head as I closed my eyes again. She was kissing down my chest as my intoxicated mind imagined it was Ally.

 _Ally._

 _Ally._

 _Ally._

Cassidy gently pushed me back further onto the bed. She started to open my belt buckle as I continued to lay down. When my cock sprung free into the cold air and she started to stroke me, I knew she was about to take me into her mouth. Something deep within me screamed, " _Don't do it._ "

I slid my body back suddenly before pulling up my underwear. Standing up, I zipped my pants.

Moving my fingers through my hair, I looked down at the ground and shook my head. "I can't do this." Grabbing my shirt and slipping it back over my head, I said, "I'm so sorry."

With her hands on her hips, Cassidy bit her lower lip and nodded in understanding. "It's okay, blondie."

"It's not you…it's just—"

"Her. I know. It's her."

"I'm just not ready to—"

She spoke louder. "You don't have to explain, Austin."

Cassidy looked sad. I hated hurting her feelings, but being with her like that didn't feel right at all.

"I'll get dressed and go, okay?"

"You don't have to leave."

"I really should."

After she put her clothes on, Cassidy came over to where I was standing and kissed me gently on the cheek. "One day she's going to wake up and regret it. I hope by that time, you've found the one you're really meant to be with. Because it's not her."

"Thank you, Cass. Thank you for everything."

"Please come back someday when your head's on straight again, will you, blondie? I want to know that you're happy."

"I will. I promise."

Just like that, Cassidy drove away into the night.

Left with a minor case of blue balls, I retreated to the shower. Letting the warm water run down on me, I squirted some shampoo into my palm and fisted my cock into my hands, jerking it roughly.

Despite best efforts to block her from my mind, all I could think about was Ally as I stroked myself. Visions of her rubbing her clit while we masturbated together in my bathroom infiltrated my brain. I jerked myself harder and imagined coming inside of her instead of my hand. As I finished, my thoughts were spiraling out of control. I leaned against the tile wall, overcome with emotion as the orgasm shook me.

 _Fuck you, Ally._

 _Fuck you._

 _I hate you._

 _I love you._

 _I hate you._

 _I love you._

 _Shit._

 _I still love you so much._

* * *

Back in Hermosa Beach the following Sunday, I still hadn't heard from her. I refused to reach out first, especially knowing what I knew. If she didn't care enough to at least call me to let me know what was going on, then I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of contacting her.

A flock of seagulls followed me as I walked along the beach near my loft. Kicking the sand, I wondered where my life would go from here, how I would spend my days without the focus on getting Ally back. More than anything, I wondered how I could possibly make myself forget her long enough to move on.

Picking a spot, I sat down and gazed out into the ocean. The water was rough. A brisk wind blew some sand into my eyes. A few surfers rode the choppy waves in the distance. A group of people were playing volleyball a few feet away. One of the girls ran over to me.

"Hey, we need another player. Want to join?"

Why the hell not? A distraction certainly couldn't hurt. "Yeah. Alright." Lifting my sluggish body off the ground, I joined a guy and a girl on one side of the net. Repeatedly serving the ball under arm, I kept my team in the lead for several games.

At one point, we took a break, and the only other guy player went to fetch some waters for us from the beach concession stand. When he returned, he was cracking up.

"Dude, you're never gonna believe what I just saw."

"What's that?"

"There was a chick in line with a goat on a leash."

I dropped the ball. "What?"

"A goddamn goat on a leash! This smoking hot chick, too. She wa—"

"Where?"

He pointed in the direction from which he came.

When I immediately took off, one of the girls yelled from behind me. "Hey, don't leave! We're starting another game."

"Play without me," I shouted without looking back.

My heart felt like it was beating unnaturally fast.

When I got to the concession stand, no one was in line. Looking around frantically, I wondered if it were possible that this were just a coincidence. A goat on a leash? No way. She was here.

Then, I saw her.

 _Ally._

My God.

She and Mutton were sitting alone on the sand. She was feeding him an ice cream cone as she looked out towards the water. The wind was blowing her hair around. She looked heart-stoppingly beautiful. Staring at her in disbelief, I stood there for the longest time without saying anything.

Somehow, he noticed me first. The "blind" goat suddenly bolted toward me, nearly knocking me down in the process.

Not knowing why the animal took off, Ally jumped up in a panic before she realized he was in my arms.

She stood up and brushed sand off of her pale yellow sundress. "Austin."

"Princess. What are you doing here?"

"I'm parked at your house. You didn't get my text?"

I took my phone out of my pocket and realized I had missed a text from her. It must have come in during the volleyball game. "No, but I see it now."

Trying not to get overly excited, I reminded myself that she could very well have come here just to deliver the bad news in person. Despite my wanting to reach out and touch her, my body stiffened instead as a self-protective mechanism.

"Can we walk to your house? I don't want to have this talk here." She wasn't smiling. Her expression was only confirming my worst fears.

A feeling of dread developed at the pit of my stomach. "Sure."

* * *

The short walk to my place was quiet. When we arrived, Ally's car was parked out front. We sat outside on the front steps to the loft. Mutton chewed on the grass next to us. She rubbed her palms together nervously.

"Go on, Ally. Just get it over with."

She looked like she was about to cry, and her question caught me off guard. "Are you seeing someone?"

My tone was abrupt. "Am _I_ seeing someone?"

"Just answer me."

"No, Ally. I've done nothing but eat, sleep and breathe you for weeks." My tone bordered on angry. "Why would you ask me that?"

"The other night, I returned to my house to get some things I forgot during the move. Kira saw my car and came out to tell me that you had been there earlier in the day. So, I went to your motel that night. There was a car parked outside. When I peeked in the window, a girl was with you, and she was putting a shirt over her head. I think it was that bartender."

 _Fuck._

 _Fuck._

 _Fuck._

 _Are you kidding me?_

 _Fuck._

"Princess, listen to me." I placed my hand under her chin, directing her to look at me. "I promise you, I will never lie to you. Do you believe me?"

"Just tell me the truth."

"That was Cassidy. She's a friend. You're right. She's the bartender at the bar I frequented. She followed me back to my room because I drank too much that night. She took off her clothes and came on to me, but I stopped it. Nothing happened."

"Really?"

"I swear on my Mom's grave. Cassidy kissed me and started to undress me, but I told her I couldn't do anything, nor did I want to."

She let out a huge breath. "Oh my God. I've been losing sleep. I know I don't even have a right to be upset after the way I've treated you."

"My judgment was off that night. I was devastated after I found out you decided to go to Boston. It felt like my life was over."

"Boston? I never decided to go to Boston."

"What? But all of your stuff was gone."

"Yes. I moved out… but not to go to Boston."

"Kira talked to Dick while you were packing. He told her you'd made up your mind to go with him."

"No. That's not true."

"Fuck, Princess. That's why I got so sloshed that night. I thought I'd lost you."

"Gavin was hopeful. Maybe that's why he told Kira I was moving with him. He kept thinking he could convince me, dangling the promise of a job and all. I hadn't told him about you until the next day. I wanted to pack my stuff before things got ugly."

"Wait. Are you telling me…"

"I never intended to go to Boston, Austin. My mind was basically made up a long time before that, but I was still scared to give in to you completely. The fear is always going to be there. I will always be afraid to lose you because of how much I love you. Spending that one day with you here, though, it felt so right. I'd never been more certain of anything in my life. I knew I had to go back and tie up my loose ends. I knew I had to end it with him."

"You broke up with Dick?"

"Yes. It was a mess. I told him everything. He accused me of fucking you and your twin brother, Harry the landscaper."

We both burst out into laughter, startling the goat who miraculously stayed conscious for once.

"If _only_ I were two people and could double team you. Did you tell him I don't really have a twin?"

"No. Once he accused me of being a slut, I didn't care to clarify."

"Dumbass."

"He really was a good guy, but from the moment you came back, Austin, you need to know there was never really any contest."

I let out a huge sigh of relief as my mind started to piece together what was happening. "You quit your job… not to go to Boston but to…"

"I wasn't happy there anyway. Plus, if I were going to move to Hermosa Beach, I—"

"Move here?" A huge smile spread across my face. At that moment, I squinted my eyes to take a closer look at Ally's Audi and noticed for the first time that it was packed to the rim with all of her crap just like the first week we met. Holy shit. We'd come full circle.

"All of your shit is in there?"

"Yes." She placed her hand on my heart. "But I don't need anything but this."

Leaning in, I kissed her with everything in me and lifted her up into the air. People were driving by and honking.

When I put her down, she had tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "I hope this complex allows goats."

"If anyone gives us shit, we'll just move. I'm thinking we need a house anyway where I can grow you another garden."

My breathing quickened as the magnitude of everything started to hit me. I became overwhelmed with an animalistic urge to claim what I finally knew with absolute certainty was mine. I couldn't wait a second longer to be inside of her. "Princess, hope you don't have any plans for a while."

She lifted her brow. "Why is that?"

"Because we have two years' worth of fucking to do."

* * *

I took Ally by the hand, and she followed me into the apartment as we practically stumbled through the door. Anticipating what was about to happen, my dick was excruciatingly hard.

I grabbed the biggest bowl I could find and filled it with water so that Pixy wouldn't dehydrate in case we didn't come out of our room for hours.

"Go to town, Bugger," I said, placing the bowl in front of him. "That's exactly what I intend to do on your mother."

As she stood in front of me, it felt like a huge weight had lifted. It was the first time that I could truly be with Ally without apprehension and uncertainty.

I pulled at my hair as I stared down at her and shook my head. "I don't even know where to start. There's so much I want to do to you."

"I'm ready for anything."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"I think I need to fuck you hard then. Are you okay with that?"

She answered by pulling her sundress over her head. As she kicked her panties to the ground, I stripped out of my own clothes. The way she was staring at my body excited me even more. All of the restraint I exhibited over the past several weeks was completely non-existent now.

"Good God," I breathed out as I got a look at her stark naked body in pure daylight. She'd shaved a thin line of hair down the middle of her beautiful mound. I so wanted to savor her, but not this time. That would be later. Right now, I needed her desperately.

I gripped the side of her waist and pulled her toward me. Within seconds, her legs were wrapped around me as I lifted her onto my starving cock.

"Aaagh," I yelled out at how incredible it felt as I sunk deep inside of her. It felt better than anything I could remember before it.

We hadn't even bothered to move from the same spot. Her back was against my bedroom door as I pounded into her relentlessly, breaking her in while she begged for it harder.

I wasn't sure if it was because I was with the woman I loved or because it had been so long, but never had a pussy wrapped around my cock ever felt tighter, hotter, wetter… more perfect or made for me in my entire life.

Gripping her ass tightly, within minutes, I felt her muscles spasm around me.

"Come, Ally. Come all over my dick, Princess. Let go."

"Say my name when you come. I love when you say my name," she whispered over my mouth.

As I came inside of her, I muttered her name repeatedly with each thrust of my hips. "Ally… Fuck… Ally… God… Ally… Ally… Ally."

We stayed connected, leaning our foreheads together.

"I love you, Ally."

"It was a long road to get here, but it was worth it," she said.

"Worth every second."

We stayed holding each other for a long time before I finally put her down. "You hungry?"

"A little."

"Let's get something in you… besides me. You're gonna need the energy for round two."

I threw my underwear on and placed my t-shirt over her head. I loved looking at her nipples peeking through my clothing. As she followed me into the kitchen, she placed her hand over her mouth in disbelief as reality set in. "Holy shit. I don't have a job. I've never been unemployed before."

"You're in luck, Mrs. Moon. I have an opening for a sex slave."

"After what you just did to me in there, I would gladly volunteer for that position, Mr. Moon."

"We'll find you a job here doing something you're passionate about," I said seriously.

"I'm passionate about you, and I'd like to do you over and over again."

"Then, it's settled. Sex slave it is."

"But seriously, though, I don't want to be dependent. I would literally be mooching off of your ass money."

"Seeing as though I'll be claiming your ass later, sounds like that's only fair. An ass for an ass."


	11. Chapter 11

hey guys! so aside from the last chapter i guess this is considered the final one. this is written in ally's pov. i hope you guys enjoyed austin's pov as well as ally's. it's been a long ride!

* * *

One Year Later

Austin and I stood at the door of the little white chapel, home to our fake wedding over three years ago. Goosebumps peppered my skin because it all seemed just like yesterday. Being here was nostalgic and at the same time, made me a little sad for the years that we lost in between.

With her red frizzy hair and over the top multi-colored smock, Zelda looked almost exactly the same as I remembered her.

She squinted her eyes and looked right at Austin. "Haven't you been in here before?"

He beamed. Returning here had been his idea. "Very perceptive. This time we have an appointment. It's under Moon. Six o'clock," Austin said, lifting up the piece of paper. "And an actual marriage license. We're doing the real deal this time."

She snapped her finger. "That's right. You're the guy… those vows… how could I forget? I should have known that you two were for real. One of the few couples I actually wondered about after they left. What took you so long?"

"Eh, hit a few bumps during the rest of our road trip. But we landed on our feet, didn't we, Princess?"

Hearing him say that was bittersweet. Anytime I thought about the two years we were apart, it made me incredibly sad. He looked down at me with adoring eyes. God, how did I get so lucky to find a man who loved me so hard?

"Are you ready to get started?" she asked.

"Yes." I smiled, still looking up into Austin's number thirteen browns.

Didi and Austin's best friend, Dez, were with us to serve as witnesses. Since we drove, we brought Pixy along. He was the honorary best man.

Already decked out in a dress of my choice, I'd come prepared this time. Austin looked incredibly sexy in a white linen shirt rolled up at the sleeves and dress pants that hugged his gorgeous ass—the ass that still helped support us to this day. I'd given up my law career for a much more fulfilling job running the local animal shelter in Hermosa Beach. The pay was crap, but I looked forward to getting up and being with the animals every day and never dreaded going into work. Austin still made a good living off royalties from his music career but also opened up his own landscaping business with a full staff of employees. He still dabbled in junk art on the side.

As I made my way down the aisle, the song that Austin had chosen caught me off guard: _The Long and Winding Road_ by the Beatles. It was unconventional, but the meaning was completely perfect for us.

You'd think after all this time, I wouldn't have been nervous, but my hands were shaking as the ceremony started. It was no different than our first go round here.

Elvis spoke, "If anyone can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

As if on cue, Pixy let out a long "Baaaaaa."

Austin turned around and joked, "You would stir up trouble right now, wouldn't you, Bugger?"

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

Didi spoke from behind me, "I do." She and I had become like sisters to each other. I was grateful for my new family.

It touched me when Austin took my hands in his and said, "I wish Mom could have met you."

Elvis interrupted our private moment. "Will you be using standard vows, or do you have your own?"

We answered at the same exact time.

"Standard," Austin said while I spoke over him, "I have my own."

He looked stunned as he leaned in and whispered, "Princess, you wrote vows? I just wanted to be officially married to you as fast as possible. I was gonna forego them this time."

Nodding, I said, "It's my turn. I have something to say."

When Austin got through repeating after Elvis, I cleared my throat.

How could I possibly put into words what he meant to me?

Taking a deep breath, I composed my thoughts before speaking. "Austin, when we met, I didn't know what hit me. All I knew was that for the first time in my life, I was living in the moment. You taught me so much in a little over a week about what's important in life. You taught me how to enjoy life and not take myself so seriously. You made me fall so crazy in love with you that even later when I believed you'd hurt me, I still couldn't shake you. I could only pretend not to care anymore. I thought I loved you then. But little did I know that our real love story hadn't even begun to play out. I never loved you more than when you came back and fought for me with everything that you had. Day in and day out, you threw away your pride and never gave up on me even when I made it really hard to believe that things would ever work out for us. You earned back my trust and then some. You said you wished your mother could have met me. Well, I wish she were here too, so I could thank her for the way she brought you up. To think that if I took even one wrong turn, I might never have met you when I did at the rest stop in Nebraska. A single minute can change an entire life. Yet, I still feel like somehow we would have met anyway. That's because I know now that you're my soulmate. The road that led us here wasn't always easy, but it made us stronger and more ready than ever for where it takes us next adventure. I love you, Austin."

I don't think I'd ever seen Austin cry, but his eyes were starting to glisten as he silently mouthed, "I love you, Princess."

Elvis prompted us to exchange rings. Austin had always refused to take the old fake one off even though it had turned his finger green. I slid a new platinum band on his finger instead this time. Austin had surprised me with—what else—a princess cut diamond ring a few months ago. He placed a diamond eternity band on my hand in front of it.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, you may now kiss the bride."

Austin lifted me up into his arms and kissed me like there was no tomorrow. His warm lips enveloping mine along with knowing that he was officially my husband felt like heaven. Pixy was growing impatient and started to "baa" again while Didi and Dez clapped.

Austin put me down, and Zelda spoke from behind us. "That kiss! Now, I know exactly why I remember you two."

Zelda took pictures of Austin and me alone and then some with Didi, Dez and Pixy.

We booked a room at the same hotel where we stayed three years ago and planned to stay in Vegas for a mini honeymoon. Didi and Dez took Pixy back into Didi's SUV. We hugged them goodbye, since they'd be driving right back to Hermosa Beach.

As we stepped out into the dry heat with the Vegas sun setting, I had a special surprise waiting for Austin in front of the chapel.

He broke out in laughter when he saw the black BMW, the same make and model as the one from our road trip.

"You rented a Beemer?"

"I know we were going to fly home, but I thought it would be a nice touch."

I had Didi decorate the car with sparkly writing on the back that read: _Just Married… Again_. I was most excited to show him something that was inside.

"It's perfect. Shall I drive, Mrs. Moon?"

"Yes. I think I'd like to just stare at my handsome husband without any distractions."

When we got in, a wide smile spread across his face the moment he spotted it on the dash, "Mr. Obama! You kept him all these years?"

"I have to tell you a story. Back when I first got to Temecula and traded in the BMW, I left the bobblehead inside. The clerk at the dealership ran after me and asked me if I wanted it. I told her to keep it. I was trying to get rid of all physical signs of you, because losing you hurt so badly. You were still in my heart, and that wasn't going away, so I did what I could to remove all other reminders. A few weeks later, I was parked at a gas station. A boy around twelve was waiting in the car next to me for his father to come out of the mini-mart. I noticed the bobblehead on his dash. I just couldn't believe it. I knew it had to be ours. I asked him where he got it. He said his father gave it to him. Turns out, the dad worked at the dealership. I didn't know what it meant, but it somehow felt like it was a sign that I wasn't supposed to let you go. I asked him how much money I could give him to buy it back. He charged me ten bucks, but I would have paid just about anything. I was a blubbering mess that day. Even though I still forced myself to move on, when you showed up again, I thought back to the bobblehead and knew that the universe had been trying to tell me to wait for you, not to give up." Tears began falling from my eyes as I thought about how lucky I was to have gotten him back and so much more.

"That story is amazing, Princess." Austin swiped his fingers along the tears falling from my eyes and said, "Thank you for giving me that second chance." He leaned down and kissed my five-months pregnant belly that stretched through the lace of my empire waist gown. We still didn't have a name for the baby boy we were expecting and I didn't trust Austin since all he'd come up with were names of candies.

Austin kept his head on my stomach. I ran my fingers through his hair and said, "Only fair. I gave you your second chance, and now you're giving me mine."


End file.
